as in sloppy
appealing to the emotions in an obvious and tiresome way
a sentimental story about unrequited love
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sentimental
The church said the statues' monetary value may be relatively small, but their historical and sentimental significance is much greater.
—
Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
In that context, historic preservation can be dismissed as sentimental, optional or even indulgent.
—Jennifer N. Pritzker, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
The time piece was a sentimental detail, having belonged to Princess Diana, and which her late mother-in-law wore many times for her own public engagements.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 21 Mar. 2026
Premiering the first of eight episodes on Sunday, March 22, The Comeback’s shaggy, despairing, hilarious, and sometimes baldly sentimental third season spends its first two episodes running through all the horsemen of the Hollywood-pocalypse.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sentimental
Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
In that context, historic preservation can be dismissed as sentimental, optional or even indulgent.
—Jennifer N. Pritzker, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
The time piece was a sentimental detail, having belonged to Princess Diana, and which her late mother-in-law wore many times for her own public engagements.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 21 Mar. 2026
Premiering the first of eight episodes on Sunday, March 22, The Comeback’s shaggy, despairing, hilarious, and sometimes baldly sentimental third season spends its first two episodes running through all the horsemen of the Hollywood-pocalypse.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sentimental
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sentimental
Adjective
-
This team is inconsistent, sloppy and soft.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Just six of those came in the second half and the Bruins took better care of the ball while running their offense more efficiently, but sloppy play and frustration have flared up despite the Bruins’ veteran leadership.—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Equal parts creature feature and Florida noir, Mermaid is sticky, sunburned, and defiantly strange.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Maurer imagines blending the fungi with Martian or lunar dirt; their sticky mycelia would cement it into an extraterrestrial equivalent of particle board.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The book’s final section, comprising a reunion at a funeral, could have been mawkish but instead is moving … A riveting tale.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Feb. 2026
-
The mawkish qualities of the story are out in full force — the whole thing is narrated by a now-aged Daniel, who relates this tragic tale to a gaggle of his grandkids — but Mike Tuviera’s flat direction fails to make use of what could have been a great visual and emotional canvas.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
In the way that Harrison looks to the Bible for models of relationships and drama, Cappa’s Haha, You Clowns looks to schmaltzy sitcoms and after school specials.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
18 Dec. 2025
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Its almost schmaltzy final notes are a brilliant companion to Coppola’s unforgettable ending.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Good intentions — and handsome animation — aside, Forevergreen is ultimately too maudlin and moralistic to rank it much higher than this.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
10 Mar. 2026
-
As the whole business dragged on, the atmosphere started to seem less like a game show and more like the late-night Jerry Lewis telethons of the 1970s, in which a tired but pumped Lewis alternately griped at the audience, broke into maudlin emotion, or jumped up to welcome a new guest.—
Tom Nichols,
The Atlantic,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
His insight into character lent itself well to adapting Larry McMurtry’s novel, ensuring that what could have been just a sappy tear-jerker was a mix of rich drama and sparkling comedy.—
Jordan Hoffman,
Vanity Fair,
16 Mar. 2026
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What’s the sappy, milky stuff that comes out of specific leaves in Florida that would be on the characters’ skin?—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Sincerity never sounds saccharine in Ives’ hands.—
Hattie Lindert,
Pitchfork,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Even if Project Hail Mary at times leans into the sentiment to an almost saccharine degree, the movie’s natural sweetness is disarming.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The style is refreshingly informal yet efficient, ensuring guests feel warm-and-fuzzy cared-for, without being overfussed.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The fuzzy-looking crawlers can cause irritation and a rash to anyone whose skin comes in direct contact with the barbed hairs that cover the caterpillar.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sentimental.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sentimental. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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