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

Kevin Hart got sentimental sending son Hendrix off to prom — even loaning him a watch for the evening. —Lindy Segal, PEOPLE, 25 Apr. 2026

As the next generation of NFL stars showed up in style for football's big night, Jordyn Tyson laced up his older brother Jaylon Tyson's sneakers, which held a bit of their own sentimental sports history. —Kelly McCarthy, ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026

But this is no joke, nor a cheesy, sentimental closure. —Marc Masters, Pitchfork, 24 Apr. 2026

Put Together a Custom Photo Book A custom photo book is a sentimental gift that feels meaningful without being over-the-top. —Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 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