sentimental

C1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˌsɛntiˈmɛntl̩/ UK /ˌsɛntiˈmɛntl̩/ See IPA manual

Freq #6287

Meanings

1

adj
Based on or showing tender emotions rather than reason.

The ring has a sentimental value because it belonged to her grandmother.
2

adj
Showing too much emotion in a way that can seem false or excessive.

The film was a little too sentimental for my taste.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 adj · showing too much emotion in... hokey

Opposites

unsentimental

Word family

Derived forms antisentimentalhypersentimentalnonsentimentaloversentimentalsemisentimentalsentimentalisationsentimentalism sentimentalistsentimentalisticsentimentalisticallysentimentalitysentimentalization

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

sentimental friendship
friendship expressed through tender feelings, sometimes in an exaggerated way

Adjective + noun

Etymology

From sentiment + -al.

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# sentimental

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˌsɛntiˈmɛntl̩/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌsɛntiˈmɛntl̩/
**Frequency rank:** 6287

## Meanings
1. Based on or showing tender emotions rather than reason.
2. Showing too much emotion in a way that can seem false or excessive.

## Examples
- The ring has a sentimental value because it belonged to her grandmother.
- The film was a little too sentimental for my taste.

## Antonyms
- unsentimental

## Derived Forms
- antisentimental
- hypersentimental
- nonsentimental
- oversentimental
- semisentimental
- sentimentalisation
- sentimentalism
- sentimentalist
- sentimentalistic
- sentimentalistically
- sentimentality
- sentimentalization

## Etymology
From sentiment + -al.

## AI Etymology
Sentimental is from sentiment + -al. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern adjectival form is built from the named base and affix. In present-day use, it can mean based on or showing tender emotions rather than reason, or showing too much emotion in a way that can seem false or excessive. Derived formations include antisentimental, hypersentimental, nonsentimental, oversentimental, semisentimental.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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