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mushiness

mushiness

7.7
Being overly emotional in a way that seems not sincere
  • noun
  • /ˈmʌʃiˌnɛs/
translation icon : sentimentalismo
  • The mushiness of the romantic movie made some viewers roll their eyes at the over-the-top emotion.

Examples

  • At the awards ceremony, the speaker's mushiness about friendship felt insincere and made the audience uncomfortable.

  • The legislative model, with all its postmodern mushiness, does little to help us define our vision of the local.

    Academic text (2016)
  • Orgy of mushiness!

    Blog text (7)
  • Her diary was filled with mushiness, detailing her overly sentimental thoughts on love and relationships.

Synonyms

sentimentality
vsmushiness
17 5.5

A way of showing too much emotion that seems false

is the core general idea of insincere excessive feeling
mush
vsmushiness
  • Informal
15 8.0

Very sentimental writing or music that feels too sweet

is the general trait of insincere excessive emotion beyond art forms
schmaltz
vsmushiness
4 9.5

An overly emotional style in art like songs or films

is broader, applying to any insincere excessive emotional quality
sentimentalism
vsmushiness
1 7.9

A tendency to show too much tender or nostalgic feeling about the past

is the single quality of insincere, excessive emotion rather than a habit
mawkishness
vsmushiness
1 9.5

A feeling of too much fake emotion that seems overly sweet

covers the same false excessive emotion in general contexts
sappiness
vsmushiness
  • Informal
1 6.3

Being too emotional in a way that seems not sincere

is the broader term for that same insincere excess of feeling
sloppiness
vsmushiness
1 5.4

Too much emotion that seems false

is the same excessive insincere feeling without implying carelessness
drippiness
vsmushiness
9.6

A feeling that is too emotional and seems false

is the neutral label for the same insincere excessive emotion
maudlinness
vsmushiness
8.4

A feeling of being too sad and emotional, often after drinking

is the same insincere, excessive emotion without the alcohol note
slobbery
vsmushiness
  • Informal
4.9

Too sentimental and not sincere

is the general insincere excess of emotion, not the dramatic action
shmaltz
vsmushiness
  • Informal
9.9

Too much emotion in art or music that feels overdone

is the general description of insincere, excessive feeling beyond art
soupiness
vsmushiness
  • Literature
8.3

A feeling that is too emotional in a story or film

is the general quality of being overly emotional in any context

Antonyms

71 3.1

A feeling of being honest and not pretending

53 2.7

A calm and honest way of speaking or acting that shows you mean what you say

How Sentimental

mawkishness
1 9.5
mushiness
7.7
reserve
9 5.2

Surface Forms

mushiness singular
mushinesses plural

Morphology

mushiness = mushy (semi-transparent) = mush + y + ness

Formed from 'mushy' + -ness; the emotional 'sentimental' sense is a figurative extension from the literal 'soft' sense, so the relation is not fully guessable from the base for all learners.

Etymology

Mushiness comes from mush, a word for a soft, pulpy mass, plus the ending -iness meaning 'the quality of'. A helpful way to remember it is to imagine feelings so soft and gooey they lose shape, so mushiness means being overly sentimental or not sincere.