as in sentimental
appealing to the emotions in an obvious and tiresome way
a mawkish plea for donations to the charity
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mawkish
Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 15 May 2025
Despite the grievous subject matter, there is not a single note in Vega’s catalogue that could be heard as mawkish or emotionally overwrought.
—Emma Madden, Vulture, 9 May 2025
Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 7 Nov. 2025
Then things just unravel into a half-hour of thoroughly phony mawkishness.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mawkish
Adjective
If that line of reasoning is too mawkish and bleeding-heart for your taste, Worsley makes a more pragmatic argument for a generous, welcoming immigration policy, one unsentimentally rooted in cold dollars and cents.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 15 May 2025
Despite the grievous subject matter, there is not a single note in Vega’s catalogue that could be heard as mawkish or emotionally overwrought.
—Emma Madden, Vulture, 9 May 2025
Noun
These films explore those bonds without ever resorting to bromides or mawkishness.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 7 Nov. 2025
Then things just unravel into a half-hour of thoroughly phony mawkishness.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mawkish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mawkish
Adjective
-
The result is a sentimental arts-and-crafts project given cinematic form, in ways that occasionally blur the line between reality and artistic representation.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Well, there’s the sentimental side of me that grew up watching Carson that liked that.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
But Duvall was never one to court sentimentality in his performances.—
Tim Grierson,
Rolling Stone,
16 Feb. 2026
-
One that even left behind a note of sentimentality.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
In a women’s semifinal, Slovak Marianna Jagercikova got snow stuck in the bindings of her ski boots, causing a sloppy transition, which ended her chances of advancing to the final.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Drop shoulders and a high-low hemline keep the top relaxed, while the classic wide-leg pants offer pajama-like comfort without looking sloppy.—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The Academy historically goes for sentimentalism.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
4 Oct. 2025
-
McBride is less interested in exploring another motivation for saving locks of hair: the particular sentimentalism that made people cherish the hair of loved ones, especially those who had died, or of honored forebears.—
Margaret Talbot,
New Yorker,
21 July 2025
Adjective
-
Neighbor disputes can be sticky, and the one between Fort Worth, Aledo and Willow Park is no exception.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Baking Soda and Hydrogen Peroxide Even with regular cleaning, the grids on a waffle maker will develop an oily, sticky residue after a period of time.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mawkish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mawkish. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
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