sappy

adjective

sap·​py ˈsa-pē 

sappier; sappiest

1

: abounding with sap

2

: resembling or consisting largely of sapwood

3

a

: overly sweet or sentimental

b

: lacking in good sense : silly

Synonyms

• chocolate-box
• cloying
• corny
• drippy
• fruity
• gooey
• lovey-dovey
• maudlin
• mawkish
• mushy
• novelettish
• saccharine
• schmaltzy
• sentimental
• sloppy
• slushy
• soppy
• soupy
• spoony
• spooney
• sticky
• sugarcoated
• sugary
• wet

Examples of sappy in a Sentence

She gets all sappy when she is around babies.

a sappy letter filled with silly romantic clichés

Recent Examples on the Web

Cue the snowy sidewalks seen in sappy holiday movies or epic snowball fights in Central Park featuring a human raised as an elf. —Cody Godwin, USA TODAY, 19 Dec. 2024

The work is tender and sweet, yet not at all sappy or cliché—a tricky balance to strike. —Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 17 Dec. 2024

Forest floor, dark cherries, cola spice, sappy tannins, and a nod in the direction of cigar humidor linger with hints of sarsaparilla through the long finish. —Brian Freedman, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024

And so, some films are not so well reviewed in the U.S. or are too sappy or sentimental and poorly reviewed. —Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 3 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

sappy

adjective

sap·​py ˈsap-ē 

sappier; sappiest

1

: full of sap

2

a

: foolishly sentimental

b

: foolish, silly

sappiness noun