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sentimental

adjective

ˌsen-tə-ˈmen-tᵊl How to pronounce sentimental (audio)
Definition of sentimentalnext
as in sticky
appealing to the emotions in an obvious and tiresome way a sentimental story about unrequited love

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 sentimental Today, the moon continues to journey through sentimental Cancer, bringing your attention to creature comforts, emotional stability and everything that keeps your life flowing smoothly. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 6 Sep. 2026 So the cleanest argument for Leigh is historical, not sentimental. — Clayton Davis, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026 Many of the perfumes launching this season are either direct remakes of once popular scents, or sentimental callbacks to a romanticized past. — Rhoda Feng, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026 The return of Gustavo Hamer feels like a sentimental move rather than necessarily a sensible football decision and Loum Tchaouna has changed clubs for the fifth summer in a row, and didn’t particularly convince for Burnley last season. — Nick Miller, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sentimental
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sentimental
  1. sticky
  2. sloppy
  3. mawkish
  4. schmaltzy
  5. maudlin
  6. sappy
  7. saccharine
  8. fuzzy
Adjective
  • Raspberry jam oozed from between the layers like sticky blood.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026
  • And with inflation sticky, many expect the central bank to issue its first interest rate hike since 2023.
    — Matt Richardson, CBS News, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of sticky
Adjective
  • After the game on Sunday, Harbaugh called the performance sloppy.
    — Ryan Canfield OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Sunday’s season-opening debacle — a sloppy, uninspired and uninspiring 26-14 loss to the Arizona Cardinals at SoFi Stadium — was a first, giant step back for these Chargers.
    — Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of sloppy
Adjective
  • Elordi’s performance is a fine one, but any emotional current from the screen to the audience is made choppy by mawkish blasts to the past, Hig at the edge of his bed, head in hands.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The sounds are chintzy and soaked in reverb, like a mawkish ’80s ballad rewritten from memory, and the whole thing slowly falls apart and fades out like an old track by the Field.
    — Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 24 June 2026
Definition of mawkish
Adjective
  • Albini doesn’t dress up those songs with any schmaltzy production or studio tricks.
    — David Harris, SPIN, 11 June 2026
  • In the way that Harrison looks to the Bible for models of relationships and drama, Cappa’s Haha, You Clowns looks to schmaltzy sitcoms and after school specials.
    — James Folta, Literary Hub, 18 Dec. 2025
Definition of schmaltzy
Adjective
  • Except that’s precisely what awards shows are terrible at — those hammy yuk-yuk sketches, or weepy maudlin moments, that struggle to celebrate the industry by interlacing the show with a theatrical insert.
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 24 July 2026
  • That’s when the movie takes a direction that’s both maudlin in the true sense of the word and ultimately even sanctimonious regarding the heroine’s sudden redemption.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 17 May 2026
Definition of maudlin
Adjective
  • The bicentennial was the moment of nostalgic gluttony that topped them all, with its reenactment of battles, its old-fashioned sailing ships, and its outpouring of sappy patriotic products printed with the magic numerals 76.
    — Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026
  • The announcement may come as a shock for country fans who have followed the couple through their sappy podcast appearances and gushy acceptance speeches.
    — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2026
Definition of sappy
Adjective
  • Together, the notes create a gourmand that feels light and fluffy rather than dense or saccharine—sweet, but never overwhelming.
    — Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The coffee itself is barely noticeable under a clobbering, overly saccharine flavor that reminds me of artificial grocery-store creamer.
    — Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of saccharine
Adjective
  • Even on a good day, Michigan is not a program that inspires many warm and fuzzy feelings among casual fans of college football.
    — Austin Meek, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Film Festival world premiere offering warm-but-never-fuzzy retro visions of stunts and cross-border tension that resonate in the present moment.
    — Jennie Punter, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of fuzzy

Browse Nearby Words

sentiment
sentimental
sentimentalism
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Cite this Entry

“Sentimental.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sentimental. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

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