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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mawkish
Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 14 June 2025
Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, jailed and banned frequently, has never allowed his work to get mawkish.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 24 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
After a mawkish beginning, the play somewhat redeems itself through earned emotions and an ambiguous ending that begs discussion.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 14 June 2025
Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, jailed and banned frequently, has never allowed his work to get mawkish.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 24 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
-
Kevin Hart got sentimental sending son Hendrix off to prom — even loaning him a watch for the evening.—
Lindy Segal,
PEOPLE,
25 Apr. 2026
-
As the next generation of NFL stars showed up in style for football's big night, Jordyn Tyson laced up his older brother Jaylon Tyson's sneakers, which held a bit of their own sentimental sports history.—
Kelly McCarthy,
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Maybe her most important one is the raw sentimentality that pervades even seemingly vapid moments.—
E.R. Pulgar,
Pitchfork,
16 Apr. 2026
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Those songs, with their tinniness and their sentimentality, still had a visceral pull.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The watery consommé subsumed what few masa dumplings swam their lonesome swirls in the bowl, with cobs of corn left like derelict buoys in the sloppy orange miasma.—
Mike Sutter,
San Antonio Express-News,
22 Apr. 2026
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Every league has flaws, but the NBA stands out for how often blowouts, injuries, and sloppy play dominate the product.—
Bobby Burack OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Academy historically goes for sentimentalism.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
4 Oct. 2025
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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
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As the smell intensified, Lina crossed to the front door of her apartment, undid the lock, and yanked the sticky door open.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
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On immediate application, the product comfortably clings to lips without feeling sticky or heavy.—
Kiana Murden,
Vogue,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mawkish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mawkish. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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