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mushy

mushy

31 4.3
Showing too much emotion in a way that seems silly or fake
  • adjective
  • /ˈmʌʃi/
  • Informal
: meloso
  • Mushy romance novels often rely on cliché phrases that make the story feel overly sentimental.

I might have been a little mushy, bro.

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Examples

Synonyms

sentimental
vsmushy
147 4.5

Having strong warm feelings about people or things from the past, often too emotional

is more childish and openly silly in emotional display
cheesy
vsmushy
  • Informal
82 4.6

Feels too sentimental and silly, like a movie or card

is more naive and playfully silly rather than cheap
sappy
vsmushy
  • Offensive
25 7.0

Too emotional in a way that feels silly or fake

is more lightweight and silly in emotional tone
feely
vsmushy
  • Informal
23 8.6

Showing strong feelings rather than careful thought

is more weakly sentimental and more frivolously emotional
hokey
vsmushy
  • Informal
13 8.2

Showing fake feeling and too much emotion

is closer to childish silliness rather than deliberate fakery
kitschy
vsmushy
9 8.2

Too sentimental or brightly decorated and not in good taste

is more simply silly and weakly sentimental
maudlin
vsmushy
8 8.0

Too emotional in a way that seems silly or not sincere

is more lightly sentimental and more obviously silly
sloppy
vsmushy
7 3.7

Too emotional in a way that seems not sincere

is more casually silly and weakly emotional
gushy
vsmushy
7 7.0

Showing too much emotion in a way that feels silly

is more childish and silly rather than openly expressive
cloying
vsmushy
6 8.2

Too sweet or emotional in a way that makes you feel sick

is more faintly silly and less intensely overwhelming
saccharine
vsmushy
3 7.9

Being too sweet or emotional in a way that seems false

is more foolishly sentimental and less calculating
overemotional
vsmushy
3 5.0

Showing too much feeling for the situation

is more lightweight and silly rather than intensely emotional
soppy
vsmushy
  • UK
2 5.8

Too emotional and sentimental in a way that seems silly

is even more excessively sentimental and silly in tone
mawkish
vsmushy
2 9.4

Showing feelings that are not real and too sweet

is more mildly silly rather than grotesquely sickly
schmaltzy
vsmushy
  • Informal
2 8.7

Too emotional in a way that feels false or silly

is more simply silly and softly sentimental
drippy
vsmushy
  • Offensive
1 7.9

Too emotional in a way that feels silly or fake

is softer and more weakly emotional rather than embarrassing
slobbery
vsmushy
  • Informal
1 4.9

Too sentimental and not sincere

is more gently silly and less dramatically charged
oversweet
vsmushy
1 3.9

Too sweet in taste or too emotional in style

is more about foolish, gushy emotional expression
goopy
vsmushy
  • Informal
1 7.6

Too emotional and sweet in a way that feels fake

is more plainly silly and less grotesquely sweet
slushy
vsmushy
1 5.4

Overly sentimental and emotional in a way that seems false

is softer and more naively silly in emotional tone
soupy
vsmushy
  • Literature
1 6.8

Being too emotional in a cheap, false way

is more personal and silly in everyday feeling
schmalzy
vsmushy
  • Informal
1 8.9

Being very emotional in a way that feels fake

is more weakly emotional and less theatrical
bathetic
vsmushy
  • Literature
1 9.9

Too sentimental in a way that feels fake or silly

is more plainly silly and sentimental rather than aiming to touch
too soppy
vsmushy
  • UK
1 7.5

Showing strong, simple feelings in a way that seems fake

is more childish and foolish in its emotional display
a bit hokey
vsmushy
  • Informal
1 8.4

A little silly and too sentimental, feeling fake

is more clearly excessive and emotionally silly
overly sugary
vsmushy
1 3.7

Having too much sugar in taste or feeling too emotional

is more lightweight and playfully sentimental
marshmallowy
vsmushy
  • Informal
1 6.3

Too sweet and sentimental in tone or style

is more directly silly and emotionally excessive
gloppy
vsmushy
  • Informal
1 8.3

Too sweet and emotional so it feels false

is more openly silly and less heavy in sweetness

Antonyms

10 4.4

Not showing strong feelings

1 6.3

A person who does not show strong feelings even when hurt or sad

Compounds

1 4.5

A soft side dish made from peas cooked until thick, often served with fish and chips

How Sentimental

maudlin
8 8.0
mushy
  • Informal
31 4.3
sentimental
147 4.5
touching
103 3.4

Surface Forms

mushy positive

Morphology

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

The sentimental meaning is a metaphorical extension of physical softness to emotional softness, so the relation is clear but not strictly literal.

Etymology

The word mushy is also used for feelings because people compare soft food to weak, overly sweet emotion, so a 'mushy' letter feels too soft and silly; that's why mushy can mean 'overly sentimental'.