as in sloppy
appealing to the emotions in an obvious and tiresome way
a sentimental story about unrequited love
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sentimental
Sort through clothes, electronics, and keepsakes in manageable steps, keeping sentimental or valuable pieces while responsibly donating or disposing of the rest.
—
Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 29 June 2025
The ‘pouf sentimental’ hairstyle was created by hairdresser Leonard Autie and debuted on the Duchesse de Chartres in 1774, famously adorned with 14 yards of gauze, figurines, a plate of cherries and a parrot.
—Lee Sharrock, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
That is my favorite now because of sentimental reasons.
—Heran Mamo, Billboard, 25 June 2025
The most chaotic list — having run all of these through an algorithm that exists only in my brain — is that of Nicholas Sparks, the sentimental novelist whose books were frequently adapted to the big screen in the aughts.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for sentimental
Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 29 June 2025
The ‘pouf sentimental’ hairstyle was created by hairdresser Leonard Autie and debuted on the Duchesse de Chartres in 1774, famously adorned with 14 yards of gauze, figurines, a plate of cherries and a parrot.
—Lee Sharrock, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
That is my favorite now because of sentimental reasons.
—Heran Mamo, Billboard, 25 June 2025
The most chaotic list — having run all of these through an algorithm that exists only in my brain — is that of Nicholas Sparks, the sentimental novelist whose books were frequently adapted to the big screen in the aughts.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for sentimental
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sentimental
Adjective
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Some of it is good, but a lot of it is sloppy, outdated or full of vulnerabilities.—
Jimmie Lee,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
-
Hein was sloppy, lazy and showed a lack of impartiality in dealing with him, Hicks said in his filing.—
Patricia Gallagher Newberry,
The Enquirer,
2 July 2025
Adjective
-
Michigan State University provides instructions on creating traps for SWD by poking tiny holes into plastic containers and filling them with apple cider vinegar to lure the insects in, and placing a sticky card inside to capture them.—
Sophia Valchine,
Freep.com,
9 July 2025
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But negotiations typically address work conditions and other issues besides compensation and this year’s talks were expected to include one particularly sticky point.—
Keith M. Phaneuf,
Hartford Courant,
9 July 2025
Adjective
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After a mawkish beginning, the play somewhat redeems itself through earned emotions and an ambiguous ending that begs discussion.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
14 June 2025
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Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, jailed and banned frequently, has never allowed his work to get mawkish.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
24 May 2025
Adjective
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He’s also invested his protagonist with a self-deprecating sense of humor that keeps his pessimism from veering into maudlin territory.—
Book Marks
June 27,
Literary Hub,
27 June 2025
-
In his lesser novels, the tragedies are maudlin and the jokes mere punch lines.—
Charlie Lee,
Harpers Magazine,
18 June 2025
Adjective
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Madsen put that to good use in Free Willy, a sappy, kid-friendly tale about an orphan who grows to love an orca at a struggling amusement park.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
3 July 2025
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Without succumbing to a sappy ending, Reza makes a strong case for valuing relationships over intellectual homogeneity — an outlook that can feel either naïve or hopeful in polarizing times.—
Emily McClanathan,
Chicago Tribune,
7 May 2025
Adjective
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The color palettes popular after pandemic shutdowns were vivid, bright and almost saccharine.—
Hannah Vanbiber,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
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There is always the wide-brim sun hat, which brings a real level of drama and panache to every occasion—and can be subverted from its saccharine ways—just look at how Alessandro Michele paired his at Valentino with a pair of groovy trousers and an opulent cropped jacket on the runway.—
Laia Garcia-Furtado,
Vogue,
5 June 2025
Adjective
-
The cyclist momentarily lost control of his motorcycle on wet pavement.—
Jon Rabiroff,
Chicago Tribune,
14 July 2025
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Stay away from water, wet items, and metal objects.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
14 July 2025
Adjective
-
But Lavigne recalled that this grandmother wasn’t exactly warm and fuzzy.—
Sughnen Yongo,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
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One of Yakovenko’s managers showed me a fuzzy black-and-white video, taken in April, of a night operation behind enemy lines.—
Dexter Filkins,
New Yorker,
14 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sentimental.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sentimental. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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