sappy

adjective

sap·​py ˈsa-pē How to pronounce sappy (audio)
sappier; sappiest
1
: abounding with sap
2
: resembling or consisting largely of sapwood
3
a
: overly sweet or sentimental
b
: lacking in good sense : silly

Examples of sappy in a Sentence

She gets all sappy when she is around babies. a sappy letter filled with silly romantic clichés
Recent Examples on the Web The lovebirds don’t shy away from PDA or writing sappy notes to one another on social media either. Emily Weaver, Peoplemag, 24 Sep. 2023 Succulents and other more moisture-retentive plants are useful, but sappy, resinous plants should generally be avoided on sites that could be vulnerable to wildfires now or in the future. Elizabeth Waddington, Treehugger, 2 Aug. 2023 Queen of sappy love songs Not just a relationship guru, Delilah can jockey disc with the best of them. Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 1 Sep. 2023 Pastel Purple Living Room Using bold accent colors prevents pastel palettes from looking too sappy. Jessica Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Aug. 2023 This is a story of family and of friendship, with enough humor to keep it from getting too sappy and enough restraint to keep it from getting too sophomoric. Kristen Page-Kirby, Washington Post, 31 July 2023 Aaron Reames has positive, early beer memories of traveling the West Coast looking for the next great sappy brew. Gary Dzen, BostonGlobe.com, 11 July 2023 Tannins are moderate and balanced to give a sappy finish that suggests the wine will continue to age gracefully for a few years. Dave McIntyre, Washington Post, 8 June 2023 Christmas movies can be formulaic, sappy, and cheesy. Jumoke Balogun, Vulture, 23 Dec. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sappy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sappy was in the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near sappy

Cite this Entry

“Sappy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sappy. Accessed 1 Oct. 2023.

Kids Definition

sappy

adjective
sap·​py ˈsap-ē How to pronounce sappy (audio)
sappier; sappiest
1
: full of sap
2
a
: foolishly sentimental
b
sappiness noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!