mawkish

adjective

ˈmȯ-kish How to pronounce mawkish (audio)
Definition of mawkishnext
as in sentimental
appealing to the emotions in an obvious and tiresome way a mawkish plea for donations to the charity

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of mawkish Knight’s directorial debut never tips over into mawkish but has some unashamedly tender moments. — Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 11 Feb. 2026 After a mawkish beginning, the play somewhat redeems itself through earned emotions and an ambiguous ending that begs discussion. — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 14 June 2025 Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, jailed and banned frequently, has never allowed his work to get mawkish. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2025 If that line of reasoning is too mawkish and bleeding-heart for your taste, Worsley makes a more pragmatic argument for a generous, welcoming immigration policy, one unsentimentally rooted in cold dollars and cents. — Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 15 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for mawkish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mawkish
  1. sentimental
  2. sloppy
  3. sticky
Adjective
  • Houston could soar within it because Parton imbued it with a musical and sentimental purity that made room for the enormity of her expressiveness.
    — Ann Powers, NPR, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Ditsy floral quilt toppers add a sentimental anchor to bedrooms, while vintage pieces threaded throughout the rest of the property have been lovingly sourced by the experts at New York’s The Somerset House.
    — Dipal Acharya, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of sentimental
Adjective
  • There was a celebration of what Daniels can do at any point, which is to cover up inconsistency and sloppy execution by others with his extraordinary talent.
    — Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The Chargers looked sloppy in their 41-17 home loss to the San Francisco 49ers last week, following an inspiring 27-7 road win over the Houston Texans, and now aim for a better on-field product in their final tuneup.
    — Joaquin Ruiz, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of sloppy
Adjective
  • And with oil prices showing no sign of returning to pre-Iran war levels this year, pressure is increasing on the Fed to combat that sticky inflation by raising interest rates at its next policy-setting meeting in September.
    — Brian Cheung, NBC news, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The non-sticky finish adds a subtle shine, and nourishing ingredients like mango seed oil, shea butter, and hyaluronic acid keep lips feeling smooth and hydrated.
    — Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of sticky

Browse Nearby Words

maw
mawkish
mawkishness
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Mawkish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mawkish. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All