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camp

camp

3 7.9
Exaggerated and showy on purpose to be playful or funny
  • adjective
  • /kæmp/
: kitsch
  • His outrageous costumes and over-the-top performances make him a truly camp entertainer.

First, though, he's the nation's favorite camp chat show host.

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Examples

  • First, though, he's the nation's favorite camp chat show host.

  • There's something deeply camp, deeply campy about Busby Berkeley's choreography.

  • Tommy's obviously in full camp trying to cut weight, and his breakfast looks like what Oliver Twist ate.

  • He plays a straight man with all the same overdone camp that straight men often portray gay men with.

  • The play was filled with camp humor that had the audience laughing at its exaggerated characters.

  • With her flamboyant style and dramatic gestures, she embraced a camp aesthetic that delighted everyone.

Synonyms

campy
vscamp
9 8.6

Exaggerated and theatrical on purpose to be funny in a silly way

is used for exaggerated style mainly for broad humorous or satirical effect

Antonyms

∞ 1.4

Calm and focused, not playful or joking

13 5.5

Quiet and controlled in voice or actions, not noisy

Compounds

87 1.3

A place where children stay away from home in summer to join activities

71 3.5

A place that gives temporary shelter and help to people forced to leave their country because of war

concentration camp
  • Offensive
59 5.6

A place where many people are imprisoned without trial in harsh, crowded conditions

58 3.4

A place at the start of a trip for climbing or hiking where people rest and keep supplies

51 3.2

A private house in Maryland where the US President meets leaders and rests

33 4.1

A camp where new soldiers get intense basic training

31 4.2

A short intense course that quickly teaches skills like coding or fitness

29 5.3

A camp where guards keep people against their will, often during war

21 7.5

A prison where people are forced to work, often for political reasons

death camp
  • NSFW
18 8.4

A prison camp where people are kept and killed, often used by Nazi Germany in World War II

13 2.5

A place where children spend the day doing activities with adults and go home at night

A place where people are held under guard during war or for political reasons

8 7.0

A camp where prisoners must do hard physical work

7 4.3

A camp that holds soldiers captured during a war

A place where refugees or migrants are kept temporarily while officials decide if they can enter the country

A place that holds soldiers captured by the enemy during a war

4 2.2

A place where people take lessons and practice tennis

aide-de-camp
  • Formal
3 9.6

A military officer who helps a senior officer with personal and official duties

reeducation camp
  • Offensive
3 9.9

A place where a government holds people and forces them to change their beliefs

camp follower
  • Archaic
1 8.0

A person who travels with an army to cook, trade and help

1 6.2

A place where young people who broke the law stay temporarily under court care

1 2.1

A small bed that folds for sleeping when camping or for guests

1 1.6

A small folding chair you use outdoors, for example when camping

A Nazi camp near Munich where the government locked up and killed Jews and other people during the Holocaust

1 4.2

A place where people rent spaces for homes on wheels with water and electricity

A camp in southwest Poland where Nazis killed many people, mostly Jewish people, during World War II

camp meeting
  • Archaic
1 7.0

A religious gathering that takes place outdoors or in tents for several days

hobo camp
  • Archaic
1 9.1

A place where homeless people live temporarily, often in tents or simple shelters

A place like a prison in northwest Germany where Nazis held and killed many Jewish people during World War II

A program where people receive therapy to regain strength and movement after injury or illness

A camp in central Germany run by the Nazis where many people are imprisoned and killed during World War II

concentration camp
  • Offensive
1 6.8

A place or situation where people are kept under very harsh, crowded, and controlled conditions

A short, intensive course that teaches programming skills to prepare people for tech jobs

1 8.8

A bold gray bird that steals food from camps and picnics

9.9

A woman who travels with soldiers and offers sex for money

8.4

A place where people are kept by the government and forced to change their beliefs or behavior

How Theatrical

over-the-top
117 5.2
extravagant
21 6.0
camp
3 7.9
theatrical
90 4.8
affected
4 7.5

Surface Forms

camp positive

Etymology

The adjective camp comes from the same idea of posing (French se camper), so to call something camp is to say it is deliberately over-the-top, artificial, or theatrical.