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
  • Zendaya’s mom rang in the actress’s 30th birthday with a sentimental Instagram post.
    — Hannah Malach, InStyle, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Caregiving is hard work Caregiving for an aging parent is not sentimental.
    — Jim King, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of sentimental
Adjective
  • But a 17-point win masked how off-kilter and sloppy the offense looked against the overmatched Huskies.
    — John Talty, Vanity Fair, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Vaughn Grissom drove in four runs, rookie Walbert Ureña pitched seven strong innings and the Los Angeles Angels ended a seven-game losing streak with a 10-1 victory over the sloppy New York Yankees on Monday night.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 Sep. 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 4 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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of apiary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

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

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
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
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All