variants
or stagey
1
as in theatrical
given to or marked by attention-getting behavior suggestive of stage acting
a motivational speaker whose stagy presentations motivate some listeners to head for the nearest exit
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dramatic
having the general quality or effect of a stage performance
the president's and the prime minister's public display of mutual admiration was a little too stagy to be convincing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stagy
Ferrell just isn’t right for this part: The role is too stagy, too wordy for him, and his style of comedy is just too modern and deconstructionist to handle the Borscht Belt punning of Mel Brooks.
—
Tim Grierson, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2025
Here was elegance without exaggeration, tension and beauty without stagy excess.
—James Shapiro, The New York Review of Books, 3 Jan. 2025
This framing device, which has the clunky air of a middlebrow play, provides a convenient if stagy way of breaking down his biography into manageable parts.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 9 Aug. 2024
Advertisement Gwen Grastorf’s embodiment of the scheming goody-goody Arsinoë is a tad stagy, but the character is still a fine foil for the quick-witted Célimène.
—Celia Wren, Washington Post, 4 May 2023
The fact that the film was made inexpensively, though not a vice in and of itself, is not especially compensated for by Joe Collins’ cinematography, which renders Heffernan’s compositions flat, stagy and small.
—Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 17 Apr. 2023
The stagy devices give the impression of notions that may have seemed like brainstorms in rehearsal but in performance feel overly artificial.
—Peter Marks, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2023
Its weapon is maximalism: with velvet tuxedos, stagy service and a love for all the props and paraphernalia of midcentury American dining.
—Pete Wells, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2023
All good but drifting into stagy with a tad too much branding.
—Freep.com, 8 May 2020
Tim Grierson, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2025
Here was elegance without exaggeration, tension and beauty without stagy excess.
—James Shapiro, The New York Review of Books, 3 Jan. 2025
This framing device, which has the clunky air of a middlebrow play, provides a convenient if stagy way of breaking down his biography into manageable parts.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 9 Aug. 2024
Advertisement Gwen Grastorf’s embodiment of the scheming goody-goody Arsinoë is a tad stagy, but the character is still a fine foil for the quick-witted Célimène.
—Celia Wren, Washington Post, 4 May 2023
The fact that the film was made inexpensively, though not a vice in and of itself, is not especially compensated for by Joe Collins’ cinematography, which renders Heffernan’s compositions flat, stagy and small.
—Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 17 Apr. 2023
The stagy devices give the impression of notions that may have seemed like brainstorms in rehearsal but in performance feel overly artificial.
—Peter Marks, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2023
Its weapon is maximalism: with velvet tuxedos, stagy service and a love for all the props and paraphernalia of midcentury American dining.
—Pete Wells, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2023
All good but drifting into stagy with a tad too much branding.
—Freep.com, 8 May 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stagy
Adjective
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The films will have limited theatrical engagements before receiving video-on-demand and physical media releases.—
Abigail Lee,
Variety,
10 Apr. 2025
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China’s theatrical box office has staged a strong recovery this year from a severe downturn in 2024, when total ticket revenue declined 23 percent.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Israel's achievements in decimating Hamas assets and leadership in Gaza have certainly undercut Iran's previous prowess, but even more impactful and impressive has been its dramatic overthrow of Hezbollah in Lebanon.—
Faisal Kutty,
Newsweek,
11 Mar. 2025
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This dramatic shift highlights the concept of climate tipping points.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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More than once, Mariana emits an exasperated scream that goes on and on and on, almost like an operatic aria.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
19 Mar. 2025
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Meantime, there are present-day affairs underway in this busy operatic troupe, and also a considerable number of underminers.—
Michael Phillips,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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And this emotional but never melodramatic four-part drama, written by Jack Thorne (His Dark Materials) and directed by Michael Keillor, is an unusually empathetic and perceptive example.—
Judy Berman,
TIME,
27 Feb. 2025
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These were the anarchists, whose isolated but highly publicized acts of individual retaliation were intended as inspirational melodramatic theatre rather than as actual revolutionary politics.—
Adam Gopnik,
The New Yorker,
24 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stagy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stagy. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.
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