as in sentimentality
the state or quality of having an excess of tender feelings (as of love, nostalgia, or compassion)
the novel's sentimentalism bored me
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Recent Examples of sentimentalism
In its commitment to a particular kind of sentimentalism, No Hard Feelings doesn’t fully lean into the raunchiness some might expect from its trailer or early buzz.
—
Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 June 2023
Wilde believed that, contrary to the claims of sentimentalism and of generations of prudish literary critics, the quality of a work of art does not depend on its ethical purity—that art depicting the degraded, the depraved, or the wicked can still be beautiful.
—Kathryn Schulz, The New Yorker, 19 June 2023
The film retains its signature tone — moving between humor and sentimentalism with a light touch — but there’s a greater effort now to connect Miles’ origin story to broader lessons about superhero canons.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 May 2023
Rather than fuzzy-wuzzy sentimentalism, that liminal space between objective reality and the netherworld is presented as a natural, if exceedingly rare, fact of life.
—Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for sentimentalism
Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 June 2023
Wilde believed that, contrary to the claims of sentimentalism and of generations of prudish literary critics, the quality of a work of art does not depend on its ethical purity—that art depicting the degraded, the depraved, or the wicked can still be beautiful.
—Kathryn Schulz, The New Yorker, 19 June 2023
The film retains its signature tone — moving between humor and sentimentalism with a light touch — but there’s a greater effort now to connect Miles’ origin story to broader lessons about superhero canons.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 May 2023
Rather than fuzzy-wuzzy sentimentalism, that liminal space between objective reality and the netherworld is presented as a natural, if exceedingly rare, fact of life.
—Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for sentimentalism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sentimentalism
sentimentality
Noun
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De Niro received an Oscar nomination for his unforgettable performance, and Williams brings a gentle humanism to a role that could have easily slipped into sentimentality.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2025
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Woody the sheriff and Buzz Lightyear will be back, sparking up our hearts with more fun for Fire signs who love adventure, Earth signs who appreciate the sentimentality, Air signs who laugh at the banter and Water signs who believe in fantasy.—
Lisa Stardust,
People.com,
18 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sentimentalism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sentimentalism. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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