overaction
Hamming it up
Overaction is excessive or exaggerated action, particularly in theatrical performance.
An actor guilty of overaction delivers lines too dramatically, uses too many gestures, or generally does too much: The director kept telling him to tone it down, but the overaction continued.
The term applies beyond theater to any response disproportionate to circumstances.
Excessively theatrical in style
- melodramaSensational, emotionally overwrought drama
- scenery-chewingTheatrical overperformance
- muggingRobbery with violence
- histrionicsExaggerated emotional behavior
emoting · grandstanding · showboating · camp · bombast · posturing · affectation · theatrics
Unnecessary additional effort
- overdoExceed reasonable limits
- overreachExceed one's capacity
- overstepExceed proper limits
- overreactRespond disproportionately to something
disproportionate · extreme · unnecessary · gratuitous · too much · overboard · heavy-handed · overdone
hammy
Excessively theatrical in style
- melodramaSensational, emotionally overwrought drama
- scenery-chewingTheatrical overperformance
- muggingRobbery with violence
histrionics · emoting · grandstanding · showboating · camp · bombast · posturing · affectation · theatrics · drama
overkill
Unnecessary additional effort
overreact · disproportionate · extreme · unnecessary · gratuitous · too much · overboard · heavy-handed · overdone · unwarranted
overactionunderacting
Performing with insufficient intensity
underplaying · restraint · subtlety · understatement · naturalism
overactionunderreaction
Insufficiently strong response
underresponse · inaction · passivity · restraint · measured response
- overactive bladderUrinary urgency condition