as in sentimental
appealing to the emotions in an obvious and tiresome way
a mawkish plea for donations to the charity
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Recent Examples of mawkish
These kinds of pictures are intended to provoke—to catch the eye with their mawkish absurdity and uncanny-valley optics.
—
Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2025
The flashbacks are dreamy without becoming mawkish, and Gemma’s scenes in Lumon are nightmarish without feeling untethered or otherwordly.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 28 Feb. 2025
Roz rescues wildlife in a Noah’s Ark analogue, then goes from being a disingenuous Christ figure offering sacrifice and promise (but no resurrection) to a mawkish maternal figure.
—Armond White, National Review, 26 Feb. 2025
Beyond all the legal and even medical specifics resides a sense of communal understanding, and — at the risk of sounding mawkish — a deep and abiding love for one’s fellow human beings, which Feder taps into with aplomb.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 28 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mawkish
Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2025
The flashbacks are dreamy without becoming mawkish, and Gemma’s scenes in Lumon are nightmarish without feeling untethered or otherwordly.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 28 Feb. 2025
Roz rescues wildlife in a Noah’s Ark analogue, then goes from being a disingenuous Christ figure offering sacrifice and promise (but no resurrection) to a mawkish maternal figure.
—Armond White, National Review, 26 Feb. 2025
Beyond all the legal and even medical specifics resides a sense of communal understanding, and — at the risk of sounding mawkish — a deep and abiding love for one’s fellow human beings, which Feder taps into with aplomb.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 28 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mawkish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mawkish
Adjective
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Bottom line: If the fabric is fussy, valuable, or sentimental, let the experts handle it.—
Alexandra Emanuelli,
Southern Living,
28 July 2025
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Romance feels more sentimental now, and even platonic relationships take on a more nurturing tone.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
27 July 2025
Adjective
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But instead of looking shapeless or sloppy, Klum proves this formula can be quite modern and stylish when done with classic basics like a white shirt and jeans.—
Emma Mehl,
Glamour,
23 July 2025
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His hair’s not looking all sloppy in the morning anymore.—
Alyssa Cooper
July 8,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 July 2025
Adjective
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The motivation behind the trend is understandable—no one wants sticky detergent dripping all over their hands or laundry room.—
Kendall Bettle,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 Aug. 2025
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The underside of the stones is bonded to the sticky asphalt cement.—
Tim Carter,
Hartford Courant,
2 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mawkish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mawkish. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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