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sentimental

sentimental

165 4.5
Having strong warm feelings about people or things from the past, often too emotional
  • adjective
  • /ˌsɛntɪˈmɛntəl/
translation icon : sentimental
  • Most people feel sentimental when they look at old family photographs.
  • sentimental value
  • sentimental attachment
  • very sentimental

It's not sentimental, not jealous, not judgmental.

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Examples

  • He gets so sentimental about the holidays.

  • - Well, it's just that it does have a certain sentimental value.

  • No, today is sentimental because it's my last day in New York.

  • So to be invited back to talk about it feels like a sentimental return.

  • So these are my most sentimental because my daddy used to wear these shoes growing up.

  • 'Most girls are sentimental about their first love.'

  • Now I realize that you may have a sentimental attachment to a few items...

    Fiction book (1992)
  • A sentimental piece about our eighth anniversary.

  • I mean, I can see how you'd naturally feel sentimental about it and everything, but...

    Fiction book (1990)
  • The calliope began "Tell Them That You Saw Me," a sentimental hit everyone was humming.

    Fiction book (1993)

Synonyms

nostalgic
vssentimental
70 5.0

Feeling a gentle sadness and warm liking for the past

is about tender emotions for many meaningful things, not only the past
cheesy
vssentimental
  • Informal
56 4.6

Feels too sentimental and silly, like a movie or card

is tasteful and sincere tenderness, not cheap or silly emotional display
mushy
vssentimental
  • Informal
27 4.3

Showing too much emotion in a way that seems silly or fake

is tender and meaningful without being cloying or overly sweet most times
sappy
vssentimental
  • Offensive
23 7.0

Too emotional in a way that feels silly or fake

is genuine tender feeling rather than constant excessive or silly emotion
hokey
vssentimental
  • Informal
23 8.2

Showing fake feeling and too much emotion

is genuine tenderness rather than theatrical or artificially exaggerated emotion
feely
vssentimental
  • Informal
17 8.6

Showing strong feelings rather than careful thought

is about tender emotions but can include thought and reflection, not only feelings
maudlin
vssentimental
8 8.0

Too emotional in a way that seems silly or not sincere

is milder tender feeling, not repeatedly overwhelmed by emotion
kitschy
vssentimental
8 8.2

Too sentimental or brightly decorated and not in good taste

is subtle, sincere tenderness rather than loud or gaudy emotional display
gushy
vssentimental
6 7.0

Showing too much emotion in a way that feels silly

is more restrained tenderness, not always showing feelings so openly
cloying
vssentimental
3 8.2

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

is tender without reaching the point of discomfort or sickening sweetness
schmaltzy
vssentimental
  • Informal
2 8.7

Too emotional in a way that feels false or silly

is tender without relying on old fashioned or theatrical gestures
mawkish
vssentimental
2 9.4

Showing feelings that are not real and too sweet

is heartfelt tenderness rather than exaggerated or sickly displays of feeling
drippy
vssentimental
  • Offensive
1 7.9

Too emotional in a way that feels silly or fake

is sincere tender emotion rather than silly or embarrassing displays
soppy
vssentimental
  • UK
1 5.8

Too emotional and sentimental in a way that seems silly

is more neutral tenderness that can be sincere and only occasionally excessive
slushy
vssentimental
1 5.4

Overly sentimental and emotional in a way that seems false

is sincere tender feeling that shows depth and real emotional meaning
bathetic
vssentimental
  • Literature
1 9.9

Too sentimental in a way that feels fake or silly

is genuinely tender and meaningful rather than forced or unintentionally ridiculous
senti
vssentimental
  • Philippine
9.9

Feeling strong emotion, often warm and a little sad

is neutral in register, showing tender emotion without informal tone
torchy
vssentimental
8.3

Showing strong feelings that make people feel sad or moved

is wider, applying to tender emotions in many situations beyond music
too soppy
vssentimental
  • UK
7.5

Showing strong, simple feelings in a way that seems fake

is gentler, allowing sincere tenderness without turning cloying or sweet
schmalzy
vssentimental
  • Informal
8.9

Being very emotional in a way that feels fake

is more balanced tenderness, not habitually overdone or insincere in feeling
gloppy
vssentimental
  • Informal
8.3

Too sweet and emotional so it feels false

is moving and warm without tipping into cloying or unpleasant sweetness
soupy
vssentimental
  • Literature
6.8

Being too emotional in a cheap, false way

is genuine tenderness not confined to artistic techniques or forced poignancy
slobbery
vssentimental
  • Informal
4.9

Too sentimental and not sincere

is sincere, calm tenderness rather than theatrical dramatic emotion
pappy
vssentimental
8.6

Too sentimental and weak in feeling, often seeming false

is stronger, earnest tenderness rather than weak or overly sweet feeling
spoony
vssentimental
  • Offensive
9.9

Showing too much love in a silly, naive way

is wider tender emotion not limited to naive romantic infatuation
supersentimental
vssentimental
8.9

Showing too much emotion in a way that seems exaggerated

is moderate tenderness, showing feeling without extreme or constant excess

Antonyms

124 4.6

Not showing care for other people's feelings or needs

11 4.4

Not showing strong feelings

Compounds

Personal emotional worth of a thing because it reminds you of someone or a time

How Sentimental

maudlin
8 8.0
touching
1 3.4
sentimental
165 4.5
reserved
3.7

Surface Forms

sentimental positive
sentimentally positive

Morphology

sentimental = sentiment (semi-transparent) = sentiment + al

The word is clearly built from 'sentiment' + '-al', but the modern meaning has broadened toward an emotional or sometimes indulgent attitude.

Etymology

The word sentimental comes from the root sent-, from Latin sentire meaning 'to feel', and it is the same idea behind the words sense and sensation. So if someone is sentimental they show strong feelings about people or memories, sometimes in a sweet but overly emotional way.