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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The character Kracht sets off on a sentimental road trip with his demented, aging mother, who is also addicted to both drugs and alcohol.—
The Know,
Denver Post,
17 Aug. 2025
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The vast majority of the 15,000-plus who packed Pine Knob were happy to stick it out for the sentimental, sing-along ride.—
Brian McCollum,
Freep.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Toronto talks often about turning the page — leaving sloppy play or outside noise in the previous night.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
20 Aug. 2025
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They’re known for their sloppy juan– brisket trimmings and pulled pork in a flour tortilla.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
18 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Despite skyrocketing prices for TV rights from name-brand sports leagues, even smaller streaming services know their future will be driven in part by that particularly sticky tune-in driver for audiences.—
David Bloom,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
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For dried or sticky grease, Marshall suggests switching to dish soap diluted in water and rubbing gently with a soft sponge or microfiber cloth.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
14 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mawkish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mawkish. Accessed 29 Aug. 2025.
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