To save this word, you’ll need to log in. Subscribe to America’s largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! Get Word of the Day daily email! Which of these items is named for sentimental valentines gifts for him deadly weapon?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz! Solve today’s spelling word game by finding as many words as you can with using just 7 letters. Can you make 12 words with 7 letters? Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. Spelling isn’t all black and white. Learn a new word every day. This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.

We kept the old photograph for purely sentimental reasons. WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS? Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift. Sentimental means expressing, appealing to, or being moved by sensitive or tender emotions, such as love, nostalgia, or pity.

The state or quality of being sentimental is sentimentality. Such terms are especially used to imply that these emotions are exaggerated or overindulged. Sometimes, they imply that these emotions get in the way of thinking logically or being realistic. People are sometimes criticized for being overly sentimental, as in Stop being so sentimental and looking at things through rose-colored glasses, instead of seeing what they’re really like.

These kinds of criticisms are especially common in the context of art. For example, a book or film may be criticized as being overly sentimental in dealing with a historical event. This implies that it portrays the event in an idealized, simplistic, or nostalgic way instead of depicting it accurately and dealing with what really happened. Such works might also be described as melodramatic. Things that are kept due to being associated with fond memories or loved ones are said to have sentimental value. Example: He’s so sentimental that he keeps all of his childhood toys.

The first records of the word sentimental come from the mid-1700s. The suffix -al is used to form adjectives. Books and movies that are sentimental are intended to make you feel all the feels—to have an emotional impact, especially one that makes you cry. Sometimes, though, this kind of sentimentality comes at the expense of a realistic story or believable characters. This kind of emotional effect is sometimes described as cheaply sentimental. Still, sentimental isn’t always used negatively.

When a person is sentimental, it often means they are sensitive to their own emotions and to those of others. That focus on feelings like tenderness might mean they express love very openly. What are some other forms related to sentimental? What are some synonyms for sentimental? What are some words that share a root or word element with sentimental? What are some words that often get used in discussing sentimental? How is sentimental used in real life?

Sentimental is often used to describe people and works of art. It’s often used in a critical way to imply that they are unrealistic, but this is not always the case. I can’t trust movie reviews that call things overly sentimental like it’s a bad thing. Like sorry this was too sweet! When I was in 5th grade. It’s crazy that it’s finally coming to an end now.

I have too many notebooks that I consider too pretty, or hold significant sentimental value, to use. Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of sentimental? How Do You Cure a Compassion Crisis? Borchers suggests preserving the broken pieces in a frame or inside a glass ornament that can be hung on the tree. Learn the words you need to communicate with confidence.