sentimentalize

verb sen·ti·men·tal·ize \ ˌsen-tə-ˈmen-tə-ˌlīz \

|Updated on: 14 Jun 2018

Examples: sentimentalize in a Sentence

Definition of sentimentalize

sentimentalized; sentimentalizing

intransitive verb

: to indulge in sentiment

transitive verb

: to look upon or imbue with sentiment

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sentimentalization

play \ˌsen-tə-ˌmen-tə-lə-ˈzā-shən\ noun

See sentimentalize defined for English-language learners

Examples of sentimentalize in a Sentence

The movie sentimentalizes the past.
He does not sentimentalize in his biography.

Recent Examples of sentimentalize from the Web

In the process, though, the novel diminishes her vivid voice and personality, softens her views, and minimizes some essential relationships while sentimentalizing or coarsening others.

— sarah stone, San Francisco Chronicle, "‘Varina,’ by Charles Frazier," 31 May 2018
Even bluesy entr’actes, though achingly sung and strummed by Martin Luther McCoy, only sentimentalize and downplay a story that wants to stretch upward.

— lily janiak, San Francisco Chronicle, "Suzan-Lori Parks’ Civil War-era myth becomes ours in ACT’s ‘Father Comes Home’," 2 May 2018
Unfortunately, Reyna rarely rises above stereotype, either sentimentalized by Cora or demonized by Troy.

— margaret wilkerson sexton, New York Times, "A Debut Novelist’s Elegy for Post-Katrina New Orleans," 5 Jan. 2018
Cruise is a likable wrongdoer, but Neeson’s Felt is sentimentalized.

— armond white, National Review, "American Made," 29 Sep. 2017
An excellent score by Andrew Bird and fine, drizzly-day lensing by Nathan M. Miller underline his predicament without sentimentalizing loneliness.

— john defore, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Outside In': Film Review | TIFF 2017," 17 Sep. 2017
Romanticizing and sentimentalizing death and destruction this way belongs to a deep-set (almost psychotic) liberal fantasy.

— armond white, National Review, "Kathryn Bigelow Does the Wrong Thing in Detroit," 4 Aug. 2017
Wajda and Linda refuse to sentimentalize Strzeminski’s plight.

— peter rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, "In intensely harrowing 'Afterimage,' Stalinist repression shatters artist’s life," 26 May 2017
This week, though, no one should, under the pressure of Trumpism, sentimentalize Macron, or underrate his difficulties.

— adam gopnik, The New Yorker, "Emmanuel Macron’s French Lessons for Donald Trump," 25 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sentimentalize.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of sentimentalize

1788

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

See Words from the same year

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SENTIMENTALIZE Defined for English Language Learners

sentimentalize

verb

Definition of sentimentalize for English Language Learners

: to describe or show (something) in an emotional way that makes it seem more attractive or interesting than it really is : to describe or show (something) in a sentimental way