as in sentimental
appealing to the emotions in an obvious and tiresome way
a mawkish plea for donations to the charity
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Recent Examples of mawkish
The flashbacks are dreamy without becoming mawkish, and Gemma’s scenes in Lumon are nightmarish without feeling untethered or otherwordly.
—
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 28 Feb. 2025
Roz rescues wildlife in a Noah’s Ark analogue, then goes from being a disingenuous Christ figure offering sacrifice and promise (but no resurrection) to a mawkish maternal figure.
—Armond White, National Review, 26 Feb. 2025
Beyond all the legal and even medical specifics resides a sense of communal understanding, and — at the risk of sounding mawkish — a deep and abiding love for one’s fellow human beings, which Feder taps into with aplomb.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 28 Jan. 2025
Co-directed with Jewish Israeli filmmaker Yaron Shani, the movie paints a subtle picture of a society split along fissures religious, political, cultural, and economic, without ever chiding his characters or dipping into mawkish sentimentality.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for mawkish
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 28 Feb. 2025
Roz rescues wildlife in a Noah’s Ark analogue, then goes from being a disingenuous Christ figure offering sacrifice and promise (but no resurrection) to a mawkish maternal figure.
—Armond White, National Review, 26 Feb. 2025
Beyond all the legal and even medical specifics resides a sense of communal understanding, and — at the risk of sounding mawkish — a deep and abiding love for one’s fellow human beings, which Feder taps into with aplomb.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 28 Jan. 2025
Co-directed with Jewish Israeli filmmaker Yaron Shani, the movie paints a subtle picture of a society split along fissures religious, political, cultural, and economic, without ever chiding his characters or dipping into mawkish sentimentality.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for mawkish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mawkish
Adjective
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After some sentimental speeches, Bracco and Macli exchanged rings.—
Dave Quinn,
People.com,
21 Apr. 2025
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The sentimental old-school racer who now sees his legacy not just in trophies, but in the people holding his hand in Victory Lane.—
Greg Engle,
Forbes.com,
20 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The Trump administration has been accused of being sloppy in selecting its targets for arrest and deportation, with critics accusing them of relying on tattoo symbols and clothing to make their allegations of gang affiliation.—
Jonathan Easley,
The Hill,
21 Apr. 2025
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Given publicly available information and pages of corrections Tyler provided to the reporters, the editorial board’s commentary is at best sloppy.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Vionic Kimmie Sneakers $130 $60 at Amazon These Vionic sneakers have perforated suede leather uppers that provide maximum airflow to keep your feet cool on hot, sticky afternoons.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
28 Apr. 2025
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Rakestraw was excellent in training camp last year, showing a knack for the ball, sticky coverage and physicality in the run game.—
Colton Pouncy,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mawkish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mawkish. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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