sentimentalize

verb

sen·​ti·​men·​tal·​ize ˌsen-tə-ˈmen-tə-ˌlīz 

sentimentalized; sentimentalizing

intransitive verb

: to indulge in sentiment

transitive verb

: to look upon or imbue with sentiment

sentimentalization

ˌsen-tə-ˌmen-tə-lə-ˈzā-shən 

noun

Examples of sentimentalize in a Sentence

The movie sentimentalizes the past.

He does not sentimentalize in his biography.

Recent Examples on the Web

The motive might be sympathetic, but the effect is sentimentalizing. — Kristian Vistrup Madsen, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2026

Unlike Luca Guadagnino’s 2025 film, however, The Vivisectors refuses to sentimentalize the conflict. — Literary Hub, 23 July 2026

The film neither glamorizes nor indicts Solanas, who Taylor humanizes without softening or sentimentalizing her. — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 10 June 2026

McGee accentuates Kenneth’s somber shading to a degree that risks sentimentalizing the character. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1788, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for sentimentalize

• contextualize
• industrialize
• materialise
• materialize
• memorialize
• microenterprise
• overemphasize
• particularize
• revolutionise
• revolutionize
• actualize
• antagonize