mawkish

[ maw-kish ]
See synonyms for: mawkishmawkishness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. characterized by sickly sentimentality; weakly emotional; maudlin.

  2. having a mildly sickening flavor; slightly nauseating.

Origin of mawkish

1
1660–70; obsolete mawk maggot (late Middle English <Old Norse mathkr maggot) + -ish1. See maggot

Other words for mawkish

Other words from mawkish

  • mawk·ish·ly, adverb
  • mawk·ish·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use mawkish in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for mawkish

mawkish

/ (ˈmɔːkɪʃ) /


adjective
  1. falsely sentimental, esp in a weak or maudlin way

  2. nauseating or insipid in flavour, smell, etc

Origin of mawkish

1
C17: from obsolete mawk maggot + -ish

Derived forms of mawkish

  • mawkishly, adverb
  • mawkishness, noun

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