schmaltz

or schmalz

[ shmahlts, shmawlts ]

/ ʃmɑlts, ʃmɔlts /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR schmaltz ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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

fat or grease, especially of a chicken.

Nearby words

Origin of schmaltz

1930–35; < Yiddish shmalts or German Schmaltz; cognate with smelt¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for schmaltz

And again the fortune of Schmaltz was swept away and again he was kicked.
The Boy Grew Older|Heywood Broun
He and Schmaltz they couldn't have it whole because "half of the back is on the front."
The Boy Grew Older|Heywood Broun
Schmaltz and Lachaumareys, were at the port to receive us from our boats.
Perils and Captivity|Charlotte-Adlade [ne Picard] Dard
Schmaltz and Lachaumareys took the lead along the coast, and all the expedition followed.
Perils and Captivity|Charlotte-Adlade [ne Picard] Dard

Schmaltz and Lachaumareys gave orders to take the route for Senegal.
Perils and Captivity|Charlotte-Adlade [ne Picard] Dard

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

Word Origin and History for schmaltz

schmaltz

"banal or excessive sentimentalism," 1935, from Yiddish shmalts, literally "melted fat," from Middle High German smalz, from Old High German smalz "animal fat," related to smelzan "to melt" (see smelt (v.)). Modern German Schmalz "fat, grease" has the same figurative meaning. First mentioned in English as "a derogatory term used to describe straight jazz" ["Vanity Fair," Nov. 1935].