sentimental

[sen-tuh-men-tl]

See more synonyms for sentimental on Thesaurus.com

adjective

expressive of or appealing to sentiment, especially the tender emotions and feelings, as love, pity, or nostalgia: a sentimental song.
pertaining to or dependent on sentiment: We kept the old photograph for purely sentimental reasons.
weakly emotional; mawkishly susceptible or tender: the sentimental Victorians.

characterized by or showing sentiment or refined feeling.

Origin of sentimental

First recorded in 1740–50; sentiment + -al¹

Related formssen·ti·men·tal·ly, adverban·ti·sen·ti·men·tal, adjectivean·ti·sen·ti·men·tal·ly, adverbhy·per·sen·ti·men·tal, adjectivehy·per·sen·ti·men·tal·ly, adverbin·ter·sen·ti·men·tal, adjectiveo·ver·sen·ti·men·tal, adjectiveo·ver·sen·ti·men·tal·ly, adverbqua·si-sen·ti·men·tal, adjectivequa·si-sen·ti·men·tal·ly, adverbsem·i·sen·ti·men·tal, adjectivesem·i·sen·ti·men·tal·ly, adverbsu·per·sen·ti·men·tal, adjectivesu·per·sen·ti·men·tal·ly, adverbun·sen·ti·men·tal, adjectiveun·sen·ti·men·tal·ly, adverb

Synonyms for sentimental

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1. romantic, tender, nostalgic; maudlin, bathetic.

Antonyms for sentimental

1, 4. dispassionate.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for over-sentimental

sugary, sentimental, gooey, sappy, saccharine, syrupy, honeyed, cheesy, corny, mushy, drippy, cornball, cutesy, over-sentimental, oversweet

Examples from the Web for over-sentimental

Historical Examples of over-sentimental

Over-sentimental and apt to cloy, it is eminently poetical and full of melody.
Masters of French Music
Arthur Hervey
What books shall we avoid: poorly written, over-sentimental, and with low ideals.
Woman's Club Work and Programs
Caroline French Benton
So the best of it is over-sentimental, timid, and does not point to hardy, manly life.
Speeches, Addresses, and Occasional Sermons, Volume 3 (of 3)
Theodore Parker
This poem is a rather successful bit of ridicule cast on the over-sentimental who sought to follow Yoricks foot-prints.
Laurence Sterne in Germany
Harvey Waterman Thayer
His sudden and unexpected meeting with Helen and their talk together had tended to make him over-sentimental, that was all.
The Portygee
Joseph Crosby Lincoln

British Dictionary definitions for over-sentimental

sentimental

adjective

tending to indulge the emotions excessively
making a direct appeal to the emotions, esp to romantic feelings
relating to or characterized by sentiment

Derived Formssentimentally, adverb

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

Word Origin and History for over-sentimental

sentimental

adj.

1749, "pertaining to or characterized by sentiment," from sentiment + -al (1). At first without pejorative connotations; meaning "having too much sentiment, apt to be swayed by prejudice" had emerged by 1793 (implied in sentimentalist). Related: Sentimentally.