maudlin

[ mawd-lin ]
See synonyms for: maudlinmaudlinismmaudlinness on Thesaurus.com

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.

Origin of maudlin

1
1500–10; special use of Maudlin,Middle English Maudelen ≪ Late Latin Magdalēnē<Greek Magdalēnḗ Mary Magdalene, portrayed in art as a weeping penitent

Other words from maudlin

  • maud·lin·ism, noun
  • maud·lin·ly, adverb
  • maud·lin·ness, noun
  • un·maud·lin, adjective
  • un·maud·lin·ly, adverb

Words Nearby maudlin

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How to use maudlin in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for maudlin

maudlin

/ (ˈmɔːdlɪn) /


adjective
  1. foolishly tearful or sentimental, as when drunk

Origin of maudlin

1
C17: from Middle English Maudelen Mary Magdalene, typically portrayed as a tearful penitent

Derived forms of maudlin

  • maudlinism, noun
  • maudlinly, adverb
  • maudlinness, noun

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