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 The data reflects a shifting sentiment that has been evident in other surveys; Americans also widely disapprove of data centers, critical to powering AI. Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 29 July 2026 One of the lawyers, Hassan Bazzi, said Sehnaoui violated the law and offended national sentiments. ABC News, 29 July 2026 Recent consumer sentiment research from McKinsey continues to show shoppers balancing caution with value-seeking behaviors, creating advantages for brands that already have consumer trust. Louis Biscotti, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 Mann loves a man with an obsession, but this sentiment is about expanding that narrow-mindedness to make space in our lives for others. Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 29 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for sentiment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sentiment
Noun
  • His cinematic and visual practices share a common exploration of identity, emotion, and human complexity.
    Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 29 July 2026
  • Newman takes a moment to let the emotion in her voice settle.
    Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 29 July 2026
Noun
  • Partnerships That Last Stapp has seen enough cross-sector partnerships announced with fanfare and wound down within a year to have strong opinions about what separates the two outcomes.
    Keely Cat-Wells, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • Coaches and personnel staffers spoke on the condition of anonymity to offer their honest opinions on the players.
    Antonio Morales, New York Times, 22 July 2026
Noun
  • There’s no need to rush past this chapter, these feelings, or this moment.
    Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Originally developed for use in hospitals, the band releases a specific pattern of pulses to your wrist, normalizing the nerve messaging from the brain to the stomach to essentially tell the brain to turn off feelings of nausea and vomiting.
    ABC News, ABC News, 1 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • For many Colombians, the attack on Uribe Turbay shattered the belief that the country had largely left behind the era when presidential candidates routinely became targets of political violence.
    Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 21 July 2026
  • As the league emerges from this summer of soccer, however, there is a strong belief that missing the immediate moment shouldn’t mean missing the bigger picture.
    Paul Tenorio, New York Times, 21 July 2026
Noun
  • Cusick and Kretschmann offer complementary chords of variable petulance and insecurity, as newcomer Cuoso ably negotiates her character’s shifting ambiguities.
    Dennis Harvey, Variety, 31 July 2026
  • Regardless, Emery struck a chord with Rashford, the player and person.
    Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 30 July 2026
Noun
  • Gallup each year polls Americans about their views on the Supreme Court in July, after the end of the court's term, and in September, weeks before the court resumes hearing cases in October.
    Dan Mangan, CNBC, 28 July 2026
  • This special charge balances with the sleekness of its waterside view and location—all that makes for a one-of-a-kind Brooklyn base.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 July 2026
Noun
  • In that sense, the conditions included in the Garnacho deal must have a realistic possibility of not occurring in order for the deal to be recorded, at least initially, as a loan.
    Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • With real couples, the sense of love and familiarity was already present.
    Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 22 July 2026
Noun
  • The target date for Saudi Arabia’s economic transformation plan is etched in the minds of every citizen and visitor to the country since Vision 2030 was unveiled more than a decade ago.
    Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 29 July 2026
  • Justin Halpern, the comic mind behind ‘S— My Dad Says,’ ‘Harley Quinn’ and ‘Abbott Elementary,’ turns to fiction writing with ‘Get Lost,’ a baseball novel about talent, failure and family.
    Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Sentiment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sentiment. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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