maudlin

American  

[mawd-lin] / ˈmɔd lɪn /

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.

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maudlin British  

/ ˈmɔːdlɪn /

adjective

1. foolishly tearful or sentimental, as when drunk

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Other Word Forms

• maudlinism noun
• maudlinly adverb
• maudlinness noun
• unmaudlin adjective
• unmaudlinly adverb

Etymology

Origin of maudlin

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

Example Sentences

Played as a maudlin admission that she’s a fallen woman, this scene would doom the play to a dusty footnote in O’Neill’s oeuvre.

From The Wall Street Journal

Lyrical but not maudlin, the book navigates family disagreements, competing philosophies and different ways the human spirit can manifest in the human body.

From The Wall Street Journal

But in the case of this maudlin, overwrought drama, “keep your eyes open” would be a more fitting demand.

From Salon

And their “don’t waste a second of life” attitude never feels maudlin.

From Salon

The book is not unnecessarily maudlin but rather sharply present, which is also simply an accurate descriptor for much of Smith’s life and work.

From Salon

Related Words

• mawkish
• mushy
• romantic
• sentimental
• syrupy
• weepy