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

• chocolate-box
• cloying
• corny
• drippy
• fruity
• gooey
• lovey-dovey
• maudlin
• mawkish
• mushy
• novelettish
• saccharine
• sappy
• schmaltzy
• sloppy
• slushy
• soppy
• soupy
• spoony
• spooney
• sticky
• sugarcoated
• sugary
• wet

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

Photos, newspaper clippings, letters, and similar sentimental items will also become discolored and brittle over time. —Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Oct. 2024

Queen Camilla is sparkling in something sentimental from Queen Elizabeth's collection at the start of the royal tour of Australia and Samoa. —Janine Henni, People.com, 18 Oct. 2024

For me, there’s one angle of my mother’s face that is just very sentimental for me. —Virginia Heffernan, WIRED, 17 Oct. 2024

If the stain is in a high-traffic area or if the carpet has sentimental or financial value (or even is an antique), bringing in a professional sooner rather than later is a smart move. —Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 13 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1741, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing sentimental

• anti-sentimental
• sentimental value

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