sentimental

adjective

sen·​ti·​men·​tal ˌsen-tə-ˈmen-tᵊl 

1

a

: marked or governed by feeling, sensibility, or emotional idealism

b

: resulting from feeling rather than reason or thought

a sentimental attachment

a sentimental favorite

2

: having an excess of sentiment or sensibility

sentimentally adverb

Synonyms of sentimental

• sloppy
• sticky
• mawkish
• schmaltzy
• maudlin
• sappy
• saccharine
• fuzzy
• wet
• soppy
• corny
• cloying
• mushy
• gooey
• sugary

Examples of sentimental in a Sentence

He has a sentimental attachment to his old high school.

She saved her wedding gown for sentimental reasons.

He has sentimental ideas about the past.

I tend to get very sentimental when I think about my childhood.

Recent Examples on the Web

Very sentimental, and just a lot of happiness. —Danny Davis, Austin American Statesman, 23 Feb. 2026

For Abela, the club scene was both sentimental and nostalgic. —Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 23 Feb. 2026

The result is a sentimental arts-and-crafts project given cinematic form, in ways that occasionally blur the line between reality and artistic representation. —Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 20 Feb. 2026

Well, there’s the sentimental side of me that grew up watching Carson that liked that. —The New Yorker, New Yorker, 20 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1741, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing sentimental

• anti-sentimental
• sentimental value

Rhymes for sentimental

• accidental
• compartmental
• continental
• detrimental
• elemental
• fundamental
• governmental
• incidental
• incremental
• instrumental
• interdental
• monumental

Kids Definition

sentimental

adjective

sen·​ti·​men·​tal ˌsent-ə-ˈment-ᵊl 

1

a

: marked by feeling or sentiment

b

: resulting from feeling rather than reason or thought

2

: having an excess of sentiment or sensibility

sentimentally

-ᵊl-ē

adverb