mawkish

[ˈmɔːkɪʃ]

mawkish Definition

sentimental in a way that is exaggerated or false; cloyingly sweet.

Using mawkish: Examples

Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "mawkish" can be used in various situations through the following examples!

• Example

  The movie was so mawkish that I couldn't finish watching it.

• Example

  The book's mawkish sentimentality turned off many readers.

• Example

  The speech was filled with mawkish platitudes and cliches.

• Example

  I prefer honest emotion to mawkishness.

mawkish Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms for mawkish

• sappy
• maudlin
• overemotional
• sentimental
• cloying

Antonyms for mawkish

• unsentimental
• tough-minded

Phrases with mawkish

• mawkish sentimentality

  an exaggerated or false display of emotion that is intended to manipulate or deceive others

  Example

  The politician's mawkish sentimentality was seen as an attempt to win votes.

• mawkish nostalgia

  a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, often in an idealized form

  Example

  The movie's mawkish nostalgia for the 1950s was criticized by some viewers.

• mawkish love story

  a romantic story that is overly sentimental or saccharine

  Example

  The novel was dismissed by critics as a mawkish love story.

Origins of mawkish

from Middle English 'mawke', meaning 'maggot'

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Summary: mawkish in Brief

'Mawkish' [ˈmɔːkɪʃ] describes something that is overly sentimental or cloying, often in a way that is exaggerated or false. It can refer to movies, books, speeches, or other forms of expression, as in 'The book's mawkish sentimentality turned off many readers.' 'Mawkish' can also be used in phrases like 'mawkish nostalgia,' which denotes a sentimental longing for the past, and 'mawkish love story,' which refers to a romantic story that is overly sentimental.