schmaltz

[ shmahlts, shmawlts ]

/ ʃmɑlts, ʃmɔlts /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for schmaltz on Thesaurus.com

noun

Informal. exaggerated sentimentalism, as in music or soap operas.

liquid animal fat, especially of a chicken.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Also schmalz . Sometimes shmaltz .

Origin of schmaltz

First recorded in 1930–35; from Yiddish shmalts or German Schmalz; cognate with smelt¹

Words nearby schmaltz

schlub, schlumbergera, schlump, schm-, Schmalkalden, schmaltz, schmaltzy, schmatte, schmear, Schmeling, schmick

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use schmaltz in a sentence

The annual schmaltz-fest is over and we can all go back to normal.
The Great Valentine’s Day Hangover|Emma Woolf|February 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After growing up in Virginia Beach, Va., as Andrea Schmaltz, she got pregnant at 16.
‘Weeds’ Come to Life? Scarsdale Mom Arrested in Massive Pot Bust|Winston Ross, Eliza Shapiro|June 6, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The serious one of the pair contended that Otto Schmaltz, the character played by Shean, did not have a whole shirt on his back.
The Boy Grew Older|Heywood Broun
Schmaltz and Lachaumareys took the lead along the coast, and all the expedition followed.
Perils and Captivity|Charlotte-Adlade [ne Picard] Dard

He and Schmaltz they couldn't have it whole because "half of the back is on the front."
The Boy Grew Older|Heywood Broun
And again the fortune of Schmaltz was swept away and again he was kicked.
The Boy Grew Older|Heywood Broun
Somehow or other the story of Schmaltz and the shirt had made him sad.
The Boy Grew Older|Heywood Broun

British Dictionary definitions for schmaltz

schmaltz

schmalz

/ (ʃmælts, ʃmɔːlts) /

noun

excessive sentimentality, esp in music

US animal fat used in cooking

Word Origin for schmaltz

C20: from German (Schmalz) and Yiddish: melted fat, from Old High German smalz

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

schmaltz

Origin of schmaltz

Words nearby schmaltz

Words related to schmaltz

How to use schmaltz in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for schmaltz

schmalz

Word Origin for schmaltz