Mawkishness: meaning, definitions and examples
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mawkishness
[ ˈmɔːkɪʃnəs ]
showing excessive sentimentality
Mawkishness is the quality of being overly sentimental or sappy. It refers to an exaggerated or insincere display of emotions that can come across as fake or cloying. People may describe something as mawkish when it feels excessively sweet or overly dramatic.
Synonyms
cloyingness, sappiness, sentimentality
Examples of usage
- Her mawkishness in romantic movies often made her friends roll their eyes.
- The mawkishness of the soap opera was too much for some viewers to handle.
sentimental in a feeble or sickly way
Mawkishness can also refer to sentimentality that is weak or insipid. It describes emotions that lack depth or authenticity, often coming across as shallow or forced. This type of mawkishness may evoke pity or discomfort rather than genuine emotion.
Synonyms
feeble sappiness, insipid emotion, weak sentimentality
Examples of usage
- The mawkishness of the movie's ending left many viewers feeling unsatisfied.
- His mawkishness made it difficult for others to take him seriously.
Translations
Translations of the word "mawkishness" in other languages:
🇵🇹 sentimentalismo
🇮🇳 भावुकता
🇩🇪 Sentimentalität
🇮🇩 sentimentalisme
🇺🇦 сентиментальність
🇵🇱 sentymentalizm
🇯🇵 感傷的
🇫🇷 sentimentalité
🇪🇸 sentimentalismo
🇹🇷 duygusallık
🇰🇷 감상적임
🇸🇦 عاطفية
🇨🇿 sentimentalita
🇸🇰 sentimentalizmus
🇨🇳 感伤
🇸🇮 sentimentalnost
🇮🇸 tilfinningasemi
🇰🇿 сезімталдық
🇬🇪 სენტიმენტალიზმი
🇦🇿 sentimentallıq
🇲🇽 sentimentalismo
Word origin
The term 'mawkishness' originated in the 17th century from the Middle English word 'mawke,' meaning maggot or grub. Over time, it evolved to describe overly sentimental or sickly-sweet emotions. The negative connotations associated with mawkishness suggest a sense of artificiality or insincerity in sentimental displays.