Definition of sentimentnext

Synonym Chooser

How is the word sentiment distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of sentiment are affection, emotion, feeling, and passion. While all these words mean "a subjective response to a person, thing, or situation," sentiment often implies an emotion inspired by an idea.

her feminist sentiments are well known

In what contexts can affection take the place of sentiment?

The synonyms affection and sentiment are sometimes interchangeable, but affection applies to feelings that are also inclinations or likings.

a memoir of childhood filled with affection for her family

How do emotion and feeling relate to one another, in the sense of sentiment?

Emotion carries a strong implication of excitement or agitation but, like feeling, encompasses both positive and negative responses.

the drama portrays the emotions of adolescence

When could feeling be used to replace sentiment?

The words feeling and sentiment are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, feeling denotes any partly mental, partly physical response marked by pleasure, pain, attraction, or repulsion; it may suggest the mere existence of a response but imply nothing about the nature or intensity of it.

the feelings that once moved me are gone

When can passion be used instead of sentiment?

The meanings of passion and sentiment largely overlap; however, passion suggests a very powerful or controlling emotion.

revenge became his ruling passion

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sentiment Winston said other team leaders expressed a similar sentiment. Charlotte Observer, 23 Jan. 2026 The overriding sentiment is that Arsenal want Little to stay. Megan Feringa, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2026 Madonna closed the sentiment with an emoji of the current Iranian flag. Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 15 Jan. 2026 This sentiment is common in Iran, and The Blind Owl is the text that captures it perfectly, not just its themes or historical references, but in its structure. Amir Ahmadi Arian, The Dial, 15 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sentiment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sentiment
Noun
  • The flow of emotions, friends’ opinions, and experts’ suggestions will result in conflicting but not mutually exclusive objectives.
    Heather L. Locus, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
  • The themes here are classically Bourgeoisian—human interdependence and the difficulty of uncoupling—but the contrast of austere kineticism with raw emotion is unusual and enthralling.
    Jillian Steinhauer, New Yorker, 23 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • But in the opinions of the two lead detectives on the case, to comment on every single one, to give credence publicly to even the most dubious messages, as Captain Donahoe was doing, only made the department look like a bunch of saps.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026
  • Your quirks, your opinions, your specific way of seeing the world, that's your competitive advantage.
    Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • The overall feeling for most people today is to kick back and relax.
    Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 24 Jan. 2026
  • Because each work features a different number of musicians and varies slightly in the way it was designed, each has a different feeling.
    Sheila Regan, Twin Cities, 23 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • The long hours spent fishing were also good for meditating and reinforced his belief in the destiny marked out for him.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Jan. 2026
  • The latter movie musical, directed and co-written by Mona Fastvold, tells the story of the titular founder of the Shakers, who brought her religious beliefs from England to America in the 18th century.
    Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 12 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • His content curation struck a chord, and his newsletter grew to more than 50,000 subscribers.
    Kevin Kruse, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
  • The Boyfriend, which debuted in 2024 as Japan’s first romance reality series featuring gay men, struck a chord for its candid conversations and emotionally honest relationships.
    Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 27 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • In Tomei’s view, metals such as gold and silver increasingly serve as a parking place for that capital, not because fundamentals have dramatically changed, but because liquidity needs a home.
    Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 29 Jan. 2026
  • An aerial view of Copacabana Beach and Ipanema beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, one of the best places to travel in 2026.
    Laura Begley Bloom, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • For the Staals, the technology offered a clear sense of what was happening inside Ethan just early enough to help him through it.
    Mayo Clinic News Network, Boston Herald, 25 Jan. 2026
  • This popular usage makes abundant sense.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • This helps to ensure that my mind is not only experiencing the music but also aiding and calming my thinking processes at the same time.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
  • But as the global spotlight turns back on the city, those recent events are brought to others’ minds, said Jacqueline deVries, chair of the history department at Augsburg University in Minneapolis.
    Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 24 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Sentiment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sentiment. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.

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