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 brand and its Massachusetts origins are inextricable—the matte white bags are sentimental fixtures of the state and New England at large.—
Li Goldstein,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
6 Feb. 2026
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For an extra sentimental touch, try making pieces for each other and swapping them once they’re finished.—
Lauren Schuster,
Miami Herald,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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At times, Epstein characterized the billionaire’s office as sloppy and amateurish, exposing him to taxes and reputational risks while making sensitive payments.—
Tom Schoenberg,
Fortune,
5 Feb. 2026
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The Heat also ran into its own sloppy play, committing 19 turnovers.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Inspect them for rust and any sticky residue which can be wiped away with WD-40 (which also help keep the hinges lubricated).—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
10 Feb. 2026
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And inflation, while still sticky, has remained stable in recent months.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mawkish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mawkish. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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