mawkish
Adjective
Hard difficulty
What does “mawkish” mean?
adjective.sentimental in a feeble or sickly way.
SAT Usage
this term often appears in contexts related to literature or film critiques, emphasizing excessive sentimentality that detracts from genuine emotion. It suggests a level of emotional manipulation that feels insincere or overdone, distinguishing it from similar words like "sentimental," which can have a more neutral connotation.
Common Confusions
Mawkish implies excessive and insincere sentimentality that detracts from genuine emotion, while sentimental usually suggests a more neutral, sincere expression of feelings without the negative connotation of being overly emotional.
Do not choose mawkish if the context emphasizes genuine emotion or sincerity rather than sentimentality in a feeble or sickly way.
Example Sentences
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The film's mawkish ending was almost too sentimental to bear.
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The ending felt mawkish to many viewers.