Sentimentalism: meaning, definitions and examples

Used to describe a tendency to be overly emotional or driven by feelings, particularly in a way that might seem excessive or insincere.

• The author's sentimentalism in describing the old home felt refreshing rather than mawkish
• His sentimentalism toward his childhood memories was evident in every detail

Describes a tendency to display strong emotions openly, sometimes without a complete rationale, and can be positive or negative depending on the context.

• Her emotionalism during the speech moved many in the audience
• The actor's emotionalism brought depth to the character's struggles

Describes excessive sentimentality to the point of being sickening or disgusting. It usually carries a strong negative connotation.

• The mawkishness of the soap opera made it hard to watch
• The novel's mawkishness was critiqued by many, who found it overly saccharine

Often refers to something that is overly romantic or nostalgic to the point of appearing trivial or lacking sophistication. This term is frequently negative and implies a lack of genuine sentiment.

• The movie was full of corniness, with cheesy lines that made the audience cringe
• His corniness in writing love letters was endearing at first, but soon felt over the top