transitive. To act (a part, role, etc.) badly or wrongly.

intransitive. To perform in a tragedy; to perform as a tragedian. Also: to speak, write, or behave in a tragic style or manner. Now rare.

transitive. To act (a part, character, etc.) in an exaggerated manner.

transitive. To play (a part, etc.) to excess, or in an exaggerated fashion; to overact. Also: to play too much or too often.

intransitive. To rehearse a dance at a walking pace (cf. sense 16d); (of an actor) to rehearse a part or scene slowly; (hence) to give a lacklustre…

transitive. To perform inefficiently or inadequately; spec. to act (a part) insufficiently.

intransitive. To lower one's standard, quality, etc., to suit the tastes or demands of (an audience, etc.); to bring oneself down to (a low…

transitive. Of an actor: to play (a part) in a routine or conventional manner. Obsolete. rare.

Theatre. To underact (a part); to perform with deliberate restraint. Also figurative. transitive.

transitive. Originally in the performing arts: to exploit (a scene, situation, line, etc.) for fullest effect; to elicit a favourable or…

To act in a ‘hammy’ manner, to over-act. Frequently const. up.

On the stage or screen: to overplay (a part), to act (a part) in an insincere, sentimental, or melodramatic manner. Also transferred and with up.

transitive. to camp it up: to behave, speak, etc., in a flamboyant, affected, or exaggerated manner, in a way stereotypically associated with an…

intransitive. to play for laughs (also a laugh): to try to make the audience laugh.

transitive. To depict or play with insufficient characterization or subtlety.