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 Mariachi is very sentimental, while banda brings the party and total chaos. — Tere Aguilera, Billboard, 7 Oct. 2026 In a sentimental moment before Game 2 of the Wild Card Series, Bellinger caught the ceremonial first pitch from his father, Clay Bellinger, who played for the Yankees from 1999-2001. — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 1 Oct. 2026 Sylvester Stallone may be known for playing tough-as-nails characters in classics like Rocky, First Blood, and Rambo, but apparently, the actor isn’t shy about getting sentimental about his real life. — Meg Walters, InStyle, 29 Sep. 2026 Display sentimental items like letters, china, or trinkets creatively, using them in daily life. — Kylie Petty, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 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
  • Her worldwide museum experience had taught her the foibles of museums and academia, but her sense of humor and common sense settled some sticky situations while moving (the museum) as a center for socially transformative debates.
    — Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Since Rock Candy came out in February, Mackeeper have continued to churn out sticky songs, and had one of them appear in The Drama.
    — Samuel Hyland, Pitchfork, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of sticky
Adjective
  • Utah's most successful drive ended at the halftime break when Dillon Curtis missed a 34-yard field goalie to a sloppy snap-and-hold.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
  • And the need to blend all the sound together right before the ear canal can make the more complex instrumentation sound more sloppy than precise.
    — Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 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
  • But that’s preferable to the movie’s swerve into saccharine grief therapy, as Jay starts communing with Mitt once the dead dad and the whale become a single soul.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Congenitally optimistic without being saccharine, Paul Baker was, in Season 2, the nexus of a love triangle in which his character felt torn between his girlfriend, Rao’s Issa, and his husband, Thiele’s Anton.
    — Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of saccharine
Adjective
  • The mascot was a fuzzy yellow monster with a tough guy attitude, topped with a sun-like head.
    — Luisa Yanez, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Shop my favorite fall shoes from Uggs, and more similar fuzzy slip-on loafers, below.
    — Kaitlin Clapinski, InStyle, 28 Oct. 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 30 Oct. 2026.

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