Someone or something that is sentimental feels or shows pity or love, sometimes to an extent that is considered exaggerated and foolish.
I'm trying not to be sentimental about the past. [+ about]
It's a very sentimental play.
Synonyms: romantic, touching, emotional, tender More Synonyms of sentimental
sentimentallyadverb [usually ADVERB with verb]
Childhood had less freedom and joy than we sentimentally attribute to it.
sentimentality (sentɪmentælɪti)uncountable noun
In this book there is no sentimentality.
Synonyms: romanticism, nostalgia, tenderness, gush [informal] More Synonyms of sentimental
2. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
Sentimental means relating to or involving feelings such as pity or love, especially for things in the past.
Our paintings and photographs are of sentimental value only.
Perhaps he has returned for sentimental reasons.
sentimental in British English
(ˌsɛntɪˈmɛntəl)
adjective
1.
tending to indulge the emotions excessively
2.
making a direct appeal to the emotions, esp to romantic feelings
3.
relating to or characterized by sentiment
Derived forms
sentimentally (ˌsentiˈmentally)
adverb
sentimental in American English
(ˌsɛntəˈmɛntəl)
adjective
1.
having or showing tender, gentle, or delicate feelings, as in aesthetic expression
2.
having or showing such feelings in an excessive, superficial, or maudlin way; mawkish
3.
influenced more by emotion than reason; acting from feeling rather than from practical motives
4.
of or resulting from sentiment
a sentimental reason
Derived forms
sentimentally (ˌsentiˈmentally)
adverb
Examples of 'sentimental' in a sentence
sentimental
Only the old wallow in sentimental regret.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Mars helps you to be less sentimental and make smart changes.
The Sun (2012)
These books have an incredible amount of sentimental value.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
It should not have been allowed to suffer so long for sentimental reasons.
The Sun (2008)
The film departs from sentimental views of how families come together in crisis.
The Times Literary Supplement (2012)
Something you thought had only sentimental value could be worth a great deal.
The Sun (2011)
For sentimental reasons regarding the country of my birth.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
He claimed the film was sentimental and unscientific.
The Sun (2008)
This is not a time for sentimental attachment to an old party colleague.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The beauty of this series is that it avoids being overly sentimental but still packs a real emotional punch.
The Sun (2012)
But sadly the music of modern verses tends to make it far too sentimental and a bit sloppy in my opinion.
Christianity Today (2000)
This is not a sentimental book.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
There is something sentimental about that.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
We're moving to a bigger building down the road but the old place has sentimental value.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The style is simplistic, clichéd and overly sentimental.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
A bit sentimental in places but worth a look.
The Sun (2006)
Her book is sweetly sentimental, and full of heart-rending scenes of separation and reunion.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
In other languages
sentimental
British English: sentimental /ˌsɛntɪˈmɛntl/ ADJECTIVE
A sentimental person or thing feels or makes you feel emotions such as tenderness, affection, or sadness, sometimes in a way that is exaggerated or foolish.
...sentimental love songs.
American English: sentimental
Arabic: عَاطِفِيّ
Brazilian Portuguese: sentimental
Chinese: 多愁善感的
Croatian: sentimentalan
Czech: sentimentální
Danish: sentimental
Dutch: sentimenteel
European Spanish: sentimental
Finnish: sentimentaalinen
French: sentimental
German: sentimental
Greek: συναισθηματικός
Italian: sentimentale
Japanese: 感傷的な
Korean: 감정적인
Norwegian: sentimental
Polish: sentymentalny
European Portuguese: sentimental
Romanian: sentimental
Russian: сентиментальный
Latin American Spanish: sentimental
Swedish: sentimental
Thai: ซึ่งสะเทือนอารมณ์
Turkish: duygusal
Ukrainian: сентиментальний
Vietnamese: ủy mị
Chinese translation of 'sentimental'
sentimental
(sɛntɪˈmɛntl)
adj
[person]多愁善感的 (duō chóu shàn gǎn de)
[song, story]充满(滿)柔情的 (chōngmǎn róuqíng de)
[value, reasons]情感的 (qínggǎn de)
(adjective)
Definition
appealing to the emotions, esp. to romantic feelings
It's a very sentimental play.
Synonyms
romantic
They enjoyed a romantic dinner for two.
touching
emotional
I don't get as emotional as I once did.
tender
a tragic, tender love story
pathetic
nostalgic
I got nostalgic the other night and dug out my old photos.
sloppy (informal)
some sloppy love-story
tearful
corny (slang)
a corny old love song
impressionable
mushy (informal)
Don't go getting all mushy and sentimental.
maudlin
She turned maudlin after a few drinks.
simpering
weepy (informal)
slushy (informal)
mawkish
a sentimental plot with an inevitable mawkish ending
tear-jerking (informal)
drippy (informal)
schmaltzy (slang)
A schmaltzy weep-along if ever there was one!
icky (informal)
gushy (informal)
soft-hearted
overemotional
dewy-eyed
three-hankie (informal)
Opposites
practical
,
realistic
,
down-to-earth
,
earthy
,
dispassionate
,
hard-headed
,
unsentimental
,
unfeeling
,
unemotional
,
unromantic
,
undemonstrative
,
commonsensical
Additional synonyms
in the sense of corny
Definition
unoriginal or oversentimental
a corny old love song
Synonyms
sentimental,
cheesy (informal),
mushy (informal),
maudlin,
slushy (informal),
mawkish,
schmaltzy (slang)
in the sense of emotional
Definition
showing one's feelings openly, esp. when upset
I don't get as emotional as I once did.
Synonyms
passionate,
enthusiastic,
sentimental,
fiery,
feeling,
susceptible,
responsive,
ardent,
fervent,
zealous,
temperamental,
excitable,
demonstrative,
hot-blooded,
fervid,
touchy-feely (informal)
in the sense of gushy
Synonyms
effusive,
emotional,
excessive,
over the top,
sentimental,
gushing,
overdone,
fulsome,
cloying,
mawkish,
icky (informal),
overenthusiastic
Synonyms of 'sentimental'
sentimental
Explore 'sentimental' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of maudlin
Definition
foolishly or tearfully sentimental, esp. as a result of drinking
She turned maudlin after a few drinks.
Synonyms
sentimental,
tearful,
mushy (informal),
soppy (British, informal),
weepy (informal),
slushy (informal),
mawkish,
lachrymose,
icky (informal),
overemotional
in the sense of mawkish
Definition
foolishly or embarrassingly sentimental
a sentimental plot with an inevitable mawkish ending
Synonyms
sentimental,
emotional,
feeble,
mushy (informal),
soppy (British, informal),
maudlin,
slushy (informal),
schmaltzy (slang),
icky (informal),
gushy (informal),
three-hankie (informal)
in the sense of mushy
Definition
excessively sentimental
Don't go getting all mushy and sentimental.
Synonyms
sentimental,
emotional,
wet (British, informal),
sloppy (informal),
corny (slang),
sugary,
maudlin,
weepy,
saccharine,
syrupy,
slushy (informal),
mawkish,
schmaltzy (slang),
icky (informal),
three-hankie (informal)
in the sense of nostalgic
I got nostalgic the other night and dug out my old photos.