as in sentimentality
the state or quality of having an excess of tender feelings (as of love, nostalgia, or compassion)
the grating mawkishness of her poetry makes me want to stamp on wildflowers
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mawkishness
Noun
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De Niro received an Oscar nomination for his unforgettable performance, and Williams brings a gentle humanism to a role that could have easily slipped into sentimentality.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2025 -
Woody the sheriff and Buzz Lightyear will be back, sparking up our hearts with more fun for Fire signs who love adventure, Earth signs who appreciate the sentimentality, Air signs who laugh at the banter and Water signs who believe in fantasy.—
Lisa Stardust,
People.com,
18 June 2025
Noun
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While leaders of the nature-study movement warned against sentimentalism and make-believe, young readers were delighted by such tales.—
Jessica George,
JSTOR Daily,
25 June 2025
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The moment when Sean soothes Laszlo’s fears of losing his best human buddy by telling him that the fear of dying just makes every living moment more special — something else a centuries-old vampire wouldn’t understand — tiptoes right up to the edge of sentimentalism.—
Katie Rife,
Vulture,
19 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Mawkishness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mawkishness. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
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