maudlin

[mawd-lin]

adjective

1. tearfully or weakly emotional; foolishly sentimental.

   a maudlin story of a little orphan and her lost dog.

2. foolishly or mawkishly sentimental because of drunkenness.

maudlin

/ ˈmɔːdlɪn /

adjective

1. foolishly tearful or sentimental, as when drunk

Other Word Forms

• maudlinism noun
• maudlinly adverb
• maudlinness noun
• unmaudlin adjective
• unmaudlinly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of maudlin¹

1500–10; special use of Maudlin, Middle English Maudelen ≪ Late Latin Magdalēnē < Greek Magdalēnḗ Mary Magdalene, portrayed in art as a weeping penitent

Word History and Origins

Origin of maudlin¹

C17: from Middle English Maudelen Mary Magdalene, typically portrayed as a tearful penitent

Example Sentences

It wouldn’t be surprising to hear that when Aster catches himself getting maudlin, he forces himself to actively wallow in self-pity until it feels like a joke.

From Los Angeles Times

He’s also invested his protagonist with a self-deprecating sense of humor that keeps his pessimism from veering into maudlin territory.

From Los Angeles Times

But the film eventually turns maudlin, going so far as to include a prolonged scene where Adam says goodbye to the memory of his parents in a restaurant they used to frequent as a family.

From Salon

If he did, the film would get maudlin.

From Los Angeles Times

Thankfully, “We Live in Time” never becomes maudlin, but it also never generates much emotion other than disappointment and frustration.

From Salon

Related Words

• mawkish 
• mushy 
• romantic 
• sentimental 
• syrupy 
• weepy