sentimentalize
verb
sen·ti·men·tal·ize
ˌsen-tə-ˈmen-tə-ˌlīz 
sentimentalized; sentimentalizing
: to indulge in sentiment
: to look upon or imbue with sentiment
Examples of sentimentalize in a Sentence
The movie sentimentalizes the past.
He does not sentimentalize in his biography.
Recent Examples on the Web
On not a few occasions, Mr. Armani has been aimless, drifty or has fallen into the trap of sentimentalizing his own back pages.
—
Guy Trebay, New York Times, 21 June 2023
History is sentimentalized, making the sketchy story lines seem even more contrived.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2023
Waititi sees sentimentalizing a culture as limiting it.
—Rebecca Keegan, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 May 2023
Is trading in the currency of the past a way to distance himself from a lonesome present? Raffish and boyish at the same time — or switching between either mode as a cover for the other — O’Connor’s deft, droll performance implies such possibilities without sentimentalizing them.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 26 May 2023
See All Example Sentences for sentimentalize
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Guy Trebay, New York Times, 21 June 2023
History is sentimentalized, making the sketchy story lines seem even more contrived.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2023
Waititi sees sentimentalizing a culture as limiting it.
—Rebecca Keegan, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 May 2023
Is trading in the currency of the past a way to distance himself from a lonesome present? Raffish and boyish at the same time — or switching between either mode as a cover for the other — O’Connor’s deft, droll performance implies such possibilities without sentimentalizing them.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 26 May 2023
See All Example Sentences for sentimentalize
Cite this Entry
“Sentimentalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sentimentalize. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.
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