Mawkish
adjective
Being too emotional or sentimental in a way that feels false.
Her performance was mawkish and did not feel genuine.
Often appears as...
- mawkish sentimentality
- mawkish performances
Usage tips
Disapproving
adjective
Being too emotional or sentimental in a way that feels false.
Her performance was mawkish and did not feel genuine.
Often appears as...
- mawkish sentimentality
- mawkish performances
Usage tips
Disapproving
Definition 1 of 1
Pro Tip 1/3Overdone Emotion
Use 'mawkish' to describe emotions that seem exaggerated or too intense to be real.
The movie's mawkish portrayal of love was hard to take seriously.
Pro Tip 2/3Negative Tone
'Mawkish' often implies a negative reaction; people usually don't like things that seem insincerely emotional.
The speech was so mawkish that it made the audience cringe.
Pro Tip 3/3Criticism of Art
In art or criticism, 'mawkish' suggests that the emotional appeal is manipulative or lacks authenticity.
Critics called the painting mawkish, lacking genuine feeling.
Pro Tip 1/3Overdone Emotion
Use 'mawkish' to describe emotions that seem exaggerated or too intense to be real.
The movie's mawkish portrayal of love was hard to take seriously.
Pro Tip 2/3Negative Tone
'Mawkish' often implies a negative reaction; people usually don't like things that seem insincerely emotional.
The speech was so mawkish that it made the audience cringe.
Pro Tip 3/3Criticism of Art
In art or criticism, 'mawkish' suggests that the emotional appeal is manipulative or lacks authenticity.
Critics called the painting mawkish, lacking genuine feeling.
Pro Tip 1/3Overdone Emotion
Use 'mawkish' to describe emotions that seem exaggerated or too intense to be real.
The movie's mawkish portrayal of love was hard to take seriously.
Pro Tip 2/3Negative Tone
'Mawkish' often implies a negative reaction; people usually don't like things that seem insincerely emotional.
The speech was so mawkish that it made the audience cringe.
Pro Tip 3/3Criticism of Art
In art or criticism, 'mawkish' suggests that the emotional appeal is manipulative or lacks authenticity.
Critics called the painting mawkish, lacking genuine feeling.
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Quote examples
H. L. Mencken
American Writer
One of the most mawkish of human delusions is the notion that friendship should be eternal, or, at all events, life-long, and that any act which puts a term to it is somehow discreditable.
Quote examples
Gabriel Byrne
Irish Actor
Presents don't really mean much to me. I don't want to sound mawkish, but - it was the realization that I have a great many people in my life who really love me, and who I really love.
Quote examples
H. L. Mencken
American Writer
One of the most mawkish of human delusions is the notion that friendship should be eternal, or, at all events, life-long, and that any act which puts a term to it is somehow discreditable.
Quote examples
Gabriel Byrne
Irish Actor
Presents don't really mean much to me. I don't want to sound mawkish, but - it was the realization that I have a great many people in my life who really love me, and who I really love.
Example 1 of 2
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