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
Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for mawkish
Adjective
These kinds of pictures are intended to provoke—to catch the eye with their mawkish absurdity and uncanny-valley optics.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for mawkish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mawkish
Adjective
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The sentimental choice only made the moment even more special, with William explaining why the sapphire piece was so close to his heart.—
Ariana Quihuiz,
People.com,
3 Aug. 2025
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His portrayals throughout tend toward the gently sentimental, no noble savagery in view.—
Tyler Austin Harper,
The Atlantic,
1 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Yet, Marshall seems unwilling to let go of that genial sentimentality.—
Tom Gliatto,
People.com,
9 Aug. 2025
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That appears to be the point, a Lynchian spin on Hallmark-card sentimentality.—
Matthew Schnipper,
Vulture,
31 July 2025
Adjective
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The turmoil dates back to a somewhat sloppy performance at a charity show at London’s Royal Albert Hall in March.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
4 Aug. 2025
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Learning how to practice Despite the steady energy throughout camp, Saturday’s session had its share of sloppy moments.—
Zach Sweet,
Kansas City Star,
3 Aug. 2025
Noun
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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
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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
Adjective
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For dried or sticky grease, Marshall suggests switching to dish soap diluted in water and rubbing gently with a soft sponge or microfiber cloth.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
14 Aug. 2025
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Despite skyrocketing prices for TV rights from name-brand sports leagues, even smaller streaming services know their future will be driven in part by that particularly sticky tune-in driver for audiences.—
David Bloom,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mawkish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mawkish. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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