as in sloppy
appealing to the emotions in an obvious and tiresome way
a sentimental story about unrequited love
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Recent Examples of sentimental
Whether preserving the original design (like Adrienne Bailon in 2019) or creatively recycling it (as Troian Bellisario did at the 2020 Golden Globes), these sentimental pieces are finding new life.
—
Janine Henni, People.com, 17 May 2025
While the highlight of the weekend is usually the Dragon Boat Races — which have drawn competitors and crowds since 1991 — the sentimental favorite is the water lantern release onto the lake.
—Edwin Goei, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2025
The following day, the Baton Rouge native became emotional on Instagram while speaking on the sentimental feat after losing the appeal in his firearm possession case from 2023.
—Mya Abraham, VIBE.com, 12 May 2025
So The Righteous Gemstones went with the sentimental ending — or at least what counts for a sentimental ending in a series so committed to the filthiest possible turns of phrase.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 5 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sentimental
Janine Henni, People.com, 17 May 2025
While the highlight of the weekend is usually the Dragon Boat Races — which have drawn competitors and crowds since 1991 — the sentimental favorite is the water lantern release onto the lake.
—Edwin Goei, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2025
The following day, the Baton Rouge native became emotional on Instagram while speaking on the sentimental feat after losing the appeal in his firearm possession case from 2023.
—Mya Abraham, VIBE.com, 12 May 2025
So The Righteous Gemstones went with the sentimental ending — or at least what counts for a sentimental ending in a series so committed to the filthiest possible turns of phrase.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 5 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sentimental
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sentimental
Adjective
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Los Alamitos tied the game in the third due to some sloppy defense from the Eagles.—
Michael Huntley,
Oc Register,
23 May 2025
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José had sent it as a freebie after Akasha complained about sloppy packaging on previous bark orders and threatened to switch to a new source in Peru.—
Andy Greenberg,
Wired News,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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The reviews and social conversation were becoming apparent that this had inserted itself into the culture in a really sticky way.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2025
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As the Southern heat creeps up more and more, putting together an outfit that’s stylish but doesn’t leave you drenched in sweat or sticky from humidity can be a challenge.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
21 May 2025
Adjective
-
Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, jailed and banned frequently, has never allowed his work to get mawkish.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
24 May 2025
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If that line of reasoning is too mawkish and bleeding-heart for your taste, Worsley makes a more pragmatic argument for a generous, welcoming immigration policy, one unsentimentally rooted in cold dollars and cents.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
15 May 2025
Adjective
-
An almost but not quite maudlin contemplation of the inevitability of death.—
Shana Naomi Krochmal,
Vulture,
4 Apr. 2025
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The trick to that is going in without bitterness and going in without any kind of maudlin demonstrations of emotion.—
Taylor Mims,
Billboard,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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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
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This has reflected neither sappy altruism nor cynical neoimperialism but an understanding that in the modern world, economics and security need to be handled at something beyond the national level.—
Gideon Rose,
Foreign Affairs,
8 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Critics saw in these sermons superficial, saccharine notes divorced from scripture.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
21 Apr. 2025
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When Herod enters, the music lurches between saccharine waltz episodes and spasms of Expressionistic anarchy—a fracturing of the lingua franca.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
19 May 2025
Adjective
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When driving on wet roads, don’t try to overcorrect when steering, officials warned, KTRK reported.—
Mitchell Willetts,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 May 2025
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Remember that a tent offers no protection against lightning. Do not approach water bodies, wet objects, or metal items.—
Bay Area Weather Report,
Mercury News,
25 May 2025
Adjective
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The purpose of Memorial Day also has become fuzzier because there are ever fewer veterans to tell the story.—
Gary Robbins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 May 2025
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Her wish comes true in the form of a gleefully chaotic fuzzy blue creature who is the combination of a rambunctious toddler, puppy and koala, with a toothy grin, deadly claws and an irresistible butt wiggle.—
Katie Walsh,
Twin Cities,
22 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sentimental.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sentimental. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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