sentiment

noun

ˈsen-tə-mənt How to pronounce sentiment (audio)
Definition of sentimentnext
1
as in emotion
a subjective response to a person, thing, or situation a sentiment of happiness and goodwill

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in opinion
an idea that is believed to be true or valid without positive knowledge antiwar sentiments

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word sentiment distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of sentiment are affection, emotion, feeling, and passion. While all these words mean "a subjective response to a person, thing, or situation," sentiment often implies an emotion inspired by an idea.

her feminist sentiments are well known

In what contexts can affection take the place of sentiment?

The synonyms affection and sentiment are sometimes interchangeable, but affection applies to feelings that are also inclinations or likings.

a memoir of childhood filled with affection for her family

How do emotion and feeling relate to one another, in the sense of sentiment?

Emotion carries a strong implication of excitement or agitation but, like feeling, encompasses both positive and negative responses.

the drama portrays the emotions of adolescence

When could feeling be used to replace sentiment?

The words feeling and sentiment are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, feeling denotes any partly mental, partly physical response marked by pleasure, pain, attraction, or repulsion; it may suggest the mere existence of a response but imply nothing about the nature or intensity of it.

the feelings that once moved me are gone

When can passion be used instead of sentiment?

The meanings of passion and sentiment largely overlap; however, passion suggests a very powerful or controlling emotion.

revenge became his ruling passion

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 sentiment The incident inspired multiple memorial meme coins, forensic scrutiny of video footage, and bitter anti-Waymo sentiment. — Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026 The net trade sentiment, as well as net directional bias according to options deltas, was positive, according to Barchart. — Oliver Renick, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2026 What readers are saying The comments reflect a strong sentiment against Clarence Thomas, with many expressing regret over his confirmation to the Supreme Court. — Washington Post Staff, Washington Post, 11 Oct. 2026 But even that sentiment puts him at odds with Scott, one of his most loyal supporters who, for eight years, held the job that Donalds seeks. — Liv Caputo, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sentiment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sentiment
  1. emotion
  2. opinion
  3. feeling
  4. belief
  5. chord
  6. view
  7. sense
  8. mind
Noun
  • The photography by Andrew Jacobs is juxtaposed against works by the Belgian artist Katrien de Blauwer, commissioned for the project to evoke emotion through color.
    — David Moin, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • These passages connect sensation and emotion without stopping to explain their relationship.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of emotion
Noun
  • One of Bilton and Weiss’s signature new on-air hires is the conservative writer Ross Douthat, formerly an opinion columnist for the Times.
    — Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Much of its work, particularly on national security matters, remains shielded from public view, but some of the office’s conclusions have emerged in often dense legal opinions.
    — Perry Stein, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of opinion
Noun
  • Who would want the callous world that successfully cloistered the feelings of others?
    — Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Leipold, in his sixth season in Lawrence, has come to understand the equal and opposite feeling on the Kansas side and opened up about it after the game.
    — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of feeling
Noun
  • Under relatively stable conditions, those beliefs may remain quiet.
    — Shahrzad Jalali, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The two were discussing that deal and Ellison’s belief in the importance of the movie theater business to the industry.
    — Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of belief
Noun
  • In the pre-choruses, the chords and background vocals fill the spaces around Swift’s fragmented, stop-start lead vocal, creating an infectious call-and-response flow.
    — David Penn, Billboard, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Power suiting for women has certainly struck a chord in the culture.
    — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of chord
Noun
  • Some markets are allowing individuals to express views on economic, political or business outcomes, while others hone in on sports, entertainment and pop culture events.
    — Aneri Jambusaria, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • For the best views look 40-90 degrees away from the radiant, where the glowing trains left in the wake of the fast-moving meteors will be at their longest.
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of view
Noun
  • Investors should also look at a fund's 30-day SEC yield to get a sense of what the company is generating in terms of income.
    — Cheryl Winokur Munk, CNBC, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Government buildings were vandalized in multiple cities, contributing to a sense of national crisis that could boost leading far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen six months before elections.
    — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of sense
Noun
  • Most of these programs did not have physical forms in their original MCU incarnations, but appear in human form within the world inside Vision’s mind.
    — Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Normalcy bias means that despite all evidence to the contrary, our mind protects itself.
    — Raj Panjabi, Time, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of mind

Browse Nearby Words

sentient
sentiment
sentimental
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Cite this Entry

“Sentiment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sentiment. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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