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View synonyms for maudlin

maudlin

[ mawd-lin ]

adjective

  1. tearfully or weakly emotional; foolishly sentimental:

    a maudlin story of a little orphan and her lost dog.

  2. foolishly or mawkishly sentimental because of drunkenness.


maudlin

/ ˈmɔːdlɪn /

adjective

  1. foolishly tearful or sentimental, as when drunk
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


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Derived Forms

  • ˈmaudlinly, adverb
  • ˈmaudlinism, noun
  • ˈmaudlinness, noun
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Other Words From

  • maudlin·ism noun
  • maudlin·ly adverb
  • maudlin·ness noun
  • un·maudlin adjective
  • un·maudlin·ly adverb
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Word History and Origins

Origin of maudlin1

1500–10; special use of Maudlin, Middle English Maudelen Late Latin Magdalēnē < Greek Magdalēnḗ Mary Magdalene, portrayed in art as a weeping penitent
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Word History and Origins

Origin of maudlin1

C17: from Middle English Maudelen Mary Magdalene, typically portrayed as a tearful penitent
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Example Sentences

Death, the only long-term certainty for any of us, permeates these episodes, although not in an overly maudlin way.

From Time

Maury brings his queerness to the screen without a filter, and it’s glorious, whether you find him maudlin or not.

Not even an actor of Allen’s caliber can elevate material this maudlin.

From Time

In another series, drafting a fantasy football team by the side of a fallen comrade could be sentimental, even borderline maudlin.

Whenever the script seems ready to surrender to maudlin excess, Gosling and McAdams are there to pull it back.

Williams interviewed and profiled four D-Day veterans, showing his sensitive side without ever seeming maudlin.

Also, beyond incompetence, he was meant to be weak, vain and maudlin.

This is a book that cries out like one of his maudlin ditties to be edited.

Before Tom's selfishness, Justice threw away her scales and became maudlin sentiment.

Both were maudlin drunk and each was trying to impress the other with his wisdom, his repartee and boldness.

On the crest of some higher waves of consciousness were borne to him drunken shouts, maudlin blasphemies.

The word maudlin suggests the idea of being ready to weep unnecessarily.

It's your maudlin gospel-millers who get scared at the chance of kicking.

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