sentiment

noun

ˈsen-tə-mənt How to pronounce sentiment (audio)
Definition of sentimentnext
1
as in emotion
a subjective response to a person, thing, or situation a sentiment of happiness and goodwill

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in opinion
an idea that is believed to be true or valid without positive knowledge antiwar sentiments

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word sentiment distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of sentiment are affection, emotion, feeling, and passion. While all these words mean "a subjective response to a person, thing, or situation," sentiment often implies an emotion inspired by an idea.

her feminist sentiments are well known

In what contexts can affection take the place of sentiment?

The synonyms affection and sentiment are sometimes interchangeable, but affection applies to feelings that are also inclinations or likings.

a memoir of childhood filled with affection for her family

How do emotion and feeling relate to one another, in the sense of sentiment?

Emotion carries a strong implication of excitement or agitation but, like feeling, encompasses both positive and negative responses.

the drama portrays the emotions of adolescence

When could feeling be used to replace sentiment?

The words feeling and sentiment are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, feeling denotes any partly mental, partly physical response marked by pleasure, pain, attraction, or repulsion; it may suggest the mere existence of a response but imply nothing about the nature or intensity of it.

the feelings that once moved me are gone

When can passion be used instead of sentiment?

The meanings of passion and sentiment largely overlap; however, passion suggests a very powerful or controlling emotion.

revenge became his ruling passion

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sentiment Speakers at Tuesday’s council meeting echoed the sentiment decrying the endorsement. —Maritza Dominguez, AZCentral.com, 12 July 2025 The sentiment is sweet, but also appears to reference some tumultuous times. —Glamour, 11 July 2025 Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.4 %, weighed down by selling of exporters’ shares amid the yen’s appreciation, which cuts profits from exports, and dampened sentiment because of the lack of progress in the Japan-U.S. trade talks. —Alex Veiga, Fortune, 10 July 2025 The survey ranks company sentiment between zero and 1 — with a .5 reading indicating a neutral outlook balanced between pessimism and optimism. —Tom Hudson, Sun Sentinel, 10 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for sentiment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sentiment
  1. emotion
  2. opinion
  3. feeling
  4. belief
  5. chord
  6. view
  7. sense
  8. mind
Noun
  • The prefrontal cortex – the area of the brain that regulates emotions, behavior and memory processing – is the last region to connect to others, one which may not fully integrate until the third decade of life.
    — The Marshall Project, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 July 2025
  • The moment was filled with conflicting emotions, a mix of gratitude and solemn reflection.
    — Ashley Vega, People.com, 15 July 2025
Definition of emotion
Noun
  • With federal routes closing, pharmaceutical companies focused on shaping public opinion and state-level regulations.
    — Sindhya Valloppillil, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
  • In today’s opinions newsletter: Behind the scenes with our opinions team.
    — Joanna Allhands, AZCentral.com, 8 July 2025
Definition of opinion
Noun
  • Businesses themselves have to discover what the new way of thinking, speaking, feeling, acting and interacting might mean for their own workplace and their own business.
    — Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 6 July 2025
  • Inside the lacrosse All-Star events Friday and Saturday had all the feelings of a weekend sports extravaganza, similar to an NBA or NHL All-Star Weekend.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 6 July 2025
Definition of feeling
Noun
  • Some examples might include: Faith – Avoiding investments in companies that conflict with your beliefs.
    — James Brewer, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
  • Manning spoke out about Williams and shared his belief that Johnson will be exactly what the doctor ordered for the young quarterback.
    — Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 July 2025
Definition of belief
Noun
  • Animal cruelty may strike a particular chord, but the casually brutal Russian FPV targeting of birds is nothing compared to the ‘human safari’ in Kherson where drones hunt down civilians.
    — David Hambling, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
  • The clip struck a chord far beyond their friend group.
    — Ashley Vega, People.com, 11 July 2025
Definition of chord
Noun
  • In the video, Mamdani sheds more light on his views of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
    — Gabe Friedman, Sun Sentinel, 7 July 2025
  • Manistique Boardwalk Stretching nearly two miles along the Lake Michigan shoreline, the city's namesake boardwalk has sweeping water views and offers a gentle, breezy stroll through some of Manistique's most scenic spots.
    — Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2025
Definition of view
Noun
  • These questions are helping businesses turn everyday items into brand moments and, in some cases, into movements created through commonality and a sense of community. 5.
    — Douglas Gregory, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
  • Such easy overlap between juror and filmmaker speaks to a wider festival goal toward building a real sense of community within the genre world.
    — Ben Croll, Variety, 14 July 2025
Definition of sense
Noun
  • Keep in mind that buckwheat can cause allergic reactions in certain people (especially in Asian countries), particularly if eaten frequently or in large amounts.
    — Caroline Tien, SELF, 15 July 2025
  • First, keep in mind that AGI and ASI will have been data trained by the vast stores of human writing.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
Definition of mind

Browse Nearby Words

sentient
sentiment
sentimental
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Cite this Entry

“Sentiment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sentiment. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.

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