Definition

1. Noun:

   • An unskilled actor who overacts: A performer, especially in theater or film, who acts in an exaggerated, theatrical, or unconvincing manner.
   • A licensed amateur radio operator: A person who engages in two-way radio communication as a hobby, using designated radio frequencies.
   • (Old Testament) son of Noah: In the Bible, Ham is one of the three sons of Noah.
   • Meat cut from the thigh of a hog (usually smoked): The salted or smoked meat from the upper part of a pig's leg.

2. Verb:

   • To exaggerate one's acting: To perform with excessive emotion or theatricality; to overact.

Usage Examples

• Noun (unskilled actor):
  • The director was frustrated with the ham who ruined the serious scene with his over-the-top performance.
  • He's such a ham, always mugging for the camera.
• Noun (amateur radio operator):
  • My grandfather has been a ham for over fifty years and enjoys talking to people worldwide.
• Noun (meat):
  • We had glazed ham for our holiday dinner.
  • I'll have a ham sandwich for lunch.
• Verb:
  • Stop hamming it up and deliver the lines naturally.
  • The inexperienced actor tended to ham whenever he was on stage.

Advanced Usage

• "To ham it up": To act in an exaggeratedly theatrical or comedic way, often deliberately for humorous effect.
  • The comedians decided to ham it up for the final sketch, making the audience roar with laughter.

Variants and Related Words

• Hammy (adj): Characteristic of a ham; overly theatrical or exaggerated in acting.
  • His hammy delivery made the villain seem more silly than scary.
• Ham-fisted (adj): Clumsy or awkward, especially with one's hands. (Note: This is a compound word listed separately as a variant).
  • His ham-fisted attempt to fix the watch only made it worse.
• Ham radio (n): The hobby or practice of amateur radio communication.
  • He spends his weekends talking to other enthusiasts on his ham radio.

Synonyms

• Noun (actor): Overactor, scene-chewer, thespian (ironic).
• Verb: Overact, exaggerate, melodramatize.
• Noun (meat): Gammon (British English), pork leg.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Ham up (phrasal verb): To perform with deliberate exaggeration. (This is the verb form of "to ham it up").
  • The actor was told not to ham up the emotional scene.

Related Idioms

• "Ham actor": A term for a performer known for overacting.
  • He gained a reputation as a ham actor after his performance in that low-budget play.

Noun

1. an unskilled actor who overacts
2. a licensed amateur radio operator
3. (Old Testament) son of Noah
4. meat cut from the thigh of a hog (usually smoked)

Verb

1. exaggerate one's acting