ham up
B2 informal separable transitive
In simple words
To act in a very over-the-top way to get attention or make people laugh.
Meanings
1 B2
idiomatic
informal
To perform or portray something in an exaggerated, theatrical way.
"The actor really hammed up the villain's death scene, getting a big laugh from the audience."
Grammar: separable
Usage notes
Less common than 'ham it up'. Typically takes a direct object (e.g. 'ham up a scene', 'ham up a performance'). Primarily used in discussions of theatre, film, or television.
Commonly used with
scene performance role moment reaction character
Forms
Base
ham up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
hams up
he/she/it
Past simple
hamed up
yesterday
Past participle
hamed up
have + pp
-ing form
haming up
continuous
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