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Sentimentalism Meaning: Definition, Examples, and Translations

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sentimentalism

[หŒsentษชmษ›nหˆtlษชzษ™m ]

Definition

Context #1 | Noun

emotions

Sentimentalism is the excessive indulgence in or expression of tender emotions, often in an exaggerated or fake way. It involves an overemphasis on emotional feelings, especially those of love, pity, or nostalgia.

Synonyms

corniness, emotionalism, mawkishness.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
sentimentalism

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
emotionalism

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
mawkishness

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
corniness

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

Examples of usage

  • He couldn't help but cringe at the sentimentalism of the romantic movie.
  • Her sentimentalism towards her childhood toys was evident in the way she kept them all these years.
  • The novel was criticized for its sentimentalism, as the characters' emotions seemed forced and unrealistic.

Translations

To see the translation, please select a language from the options available.

Origin of 'sentimentalism'

The term sentimentalism originated in the 18th century as a literary and artistic movement that emphasized the expression of emotions and feelings. It was a reaction against the rationalism of the Enlightenment period and sought to evoke strong emotional responses in the audience or readers. Sentimentalism can be seen in various forms of art, literature, and music, where the focus is on evoking empathy and sympathy through emotional appeal.

See also: presentiment, sentiment, sentimental, sentimentalist, sentimentality, sentimentally, sentiments, unsentimental.

Word Frequency Rank

At rank #28,735, this word represents specialized academic or technical vocabulary. It's less frequently encountered but may be valuable in specific contexts.