variants or stagey
stagier; stagiest
Synonyms of stagynext
: of or characteristic of the stage
especially : marked by pretense or artificiality : theatrical
stagily adverb
staginess noun

Examples of stagy in a Sentence

an artificial and stagy manner a motivational speaker whose stagy presentations motivate some listeners to head for the nearest exit
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That sort of living-document approach helps keep The Invite from coming off as overly stagy or stodgy. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 26 June 2026 The auteur can now cross another genre off his bucket list with The Samurai and the Prisoner (Kokurojo), a stately and rather stagy historical mystery set during the 16th century, at a time when warring clans fought and outmaneuvered each other for control of the land. Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 24 May 2026 Some of his jabs seemed a bit forced and stagy. Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026 Here was elegance without exaggeration, tension and beauty without stagy excess. James Shapiro, The New York Review of Books, 3 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1856, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stagy was in 1856

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stagy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stagy. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

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