mawkish

[maw-kish]

adjective

1. characterized by sickly sentimentality; weakly emotional; maudlin.

   Synonyms: teary, sentimental

2. having a mildly sickening flavor; slightly nauseating.

mawkish

/ ˈmɔːkɪʃ /

adjective

1. falsely sentimental, esp in a weak or maudlin way

2. nauseating or insipid in flavour, smell, etc

Other Word Forms

• mawkishly adverb
• mawkishness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of mawkish¹

1660–70; obsolete mawk maggot ( late Middle English < Old Norse mathkr maggot) + -ish ¹. See maggot

Word History and Origins

Origin of mawkish¹

C17: from obsolete mawk _maggot + _-ish

Example Sentences

In the middle of the night … I’m still haunted by this mawkish pileup of gospel signifiers.

From Los Angeles Times

Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, jailed and banned frequently, has never allowed his work get mawkish.

From Los Angeles Times

Morgan’s flair for the mawkish would be fine, and maybe even interesting, if he didn’t make the mistake of making the country music industry piles and piles of money.

From Salon

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.

From Los Angeles Times

If that leaves you expecting mawkish sentiment and introspective wallowing, you've not been paying attention.

From BBC

Related Words

• cloying 
• gooey 
• maudlin 
• mushy 
• sappy 
• sloppy 
• teary