Tuesday word: Mawkish

[simplyn2deep]

Tuesday, Apr. 15, 2025

Mawkish (adjective)
mawkish [ maw-kish ]

adjective
1. characterized by sickly sentimentality; weakly emotional; maudlin.
2. having a mildly sickening flavor; slightly nauseating.

Other Words From
mawk ish·ly adverb
mawk ish·ness noun

Related Words
cloying, gooey, maudlin, mushy, sappy, sloppy, teary

See more synonyms on Thesaurus.com
Synonyms
1. teary, sentimental

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

Example Sentences
The dialogue was more dignified: no brainless chatter or mawkish introductions.
From New York Times

Not to be mawkish, but one of the things I like about the show is that if I saw it when I was 18, I think I would’ve enjoyed it.
From Los Angeles Times

This dialogue verges on the mawkish: “What does hermaphrodite mean?”
From New York Times

“Hourglass” suffers for its sometimes mawkish language, places where Goddard reaches for earnestness but sounds insincere, or just immature.
From Los Angeles Times

It sounds mawkish, but the picture’s low-key vibe and offhand humor land with surprising grace.
From New York Times