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
Sure, there’s something stagy in summing up Hart’s life via an increasingly drunken evening celebrating the premiere of his former creative partner Richard Rodgers’s (Andrew Scott) musical Oklahoma!, which will go on to be hugely successful and beloved, but which Hart can’t stand.
—
Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
And even though there are stretches of stagey-sounding expository dialogue, the story manages to wheel along at a clip.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
The Fence suffers from dialogue overload and a somewhat stagy mise-en-scène, although those elements occasionally yield strong sequences fraught with unsettledness, if not outright hostility, when the drama finally boils over.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025
Some reservations: Song plays out the scenes between Lucy and Harry, and between Lucy and John, as two-way dialogues that are often stagy and too on-the-nose.
—Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor, 12 June 2025
His Cabinet gathered in the Rose Garden alongside supporters wearing hard hats and reflective vests—a stagy reference to all the manufacturing jobs that would presumably be flooding back to U.S. soil.
—Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 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
Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
And even though there are stretches of stagey-sounding expository dialogue, the story manages to wheel along at a clip.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
The Fence suffers from dialogue overload and a somewhat stagy mise-en-scène, although those elements occasionally yield strong sequences fraught with unsettledness, if not outright hostility, when the drama finally boils over.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025
Some reservations: Song plays out the scenes between Lucy and Harry, and between Lucy and John, as two-way dialogues that are often stagy and too on-the-nose.
—Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor, 12 June 2025
His Cabinet gathered in the Rose Garden alongside supporters wearing hard hats and reflective vests—a stagy reference to all the manufacturing jobs that would presumably be flooding back to U.S. soil.
—Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stagy
Adjective
-
Bad Bunny’s decision to defy any theatrical fashion expectations on the Super Bowl stage tonight makes total sense when considering his long style history.—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
9 Feb. 2026
-
At halftime, Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny delivered an energetic performance featuring his biggest hits, powerful imagery and theatrical nods to songs and symbols from throughout his Spanish-language catalog.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The baker's dozen invited to the event on Wednesday represents a dramatic increase from last season.—
Tony Catalina,
Austin American Statesman,
11 Feb. 2026
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The growth in connected TV usage proved most dramatic in Indonesia and the Philippines, highlighting how living room viewing on large screens is becoming central to the streaming category’s evolution.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The performers paid homage to Italy’s musical traditions, with three great operatic composers, Gioachino Rossini, Giuseppe Verdi, and Giacomo Puccini, appearing on the stage as mascot-like characters.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
6 Feb. 2026
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Cecilia Bartoli is a force on any stage, turning every performance into a spectacle with her bold voice and operatic flair.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stagy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stagy. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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