ham it up
ham it up — idiom
1. to act or perform in an exaggerated, over-the-top way on purpose, especially to
to act or perform in an exaggerated, over-the-top way on purpose, especially to make an audience laugh or to draw attention to yourself
Caleb hammed it up as the grumpy king in the school play, and the whole audience laughed.
collocation: ham it up as [role/character]
Lucía hammed it up for the camera, crossing her eyes and sticking out her tongue.
collocation: ham it up for [audience/occasion]
The comedian hammed it up on stage, pretending to trip over his own feet.
Uncle Theo hams it up whenever he tells the story of meeting Aunt Rania.
Jisoo hammed it up in the talent show, adding dramatic pauses and silly faces.
- overact
more neutral; lacks the playful, self-aware tone of 'ham it up'
- chew the scenery
same register and domain; more theatrical and dramatic in connotation
- camp it up
similar meaning but more strongly associated with exaggerated theatrical style and camp aesthetics
文法句型
ham it up for [audience]
ham it up on/in [place]
用法筆記
Especially common in theatre, comedy, and social storytelling contexts. Often implies playful or self-aware exaggeration rather than poor acting.