cloyingly sentimental

Meanings

1. 1adjectivebefore a noundisapproving

   Expressing emotion in a way that is so sweet and exaggerated that it feels fake and slightly sickening.

   Grammar: Used before a noun, as in 'a cloyingly sentimental film'; it can also follow a linking verb: 'The ending was cloyingly sentimental.'

   Patterns

   • a cloyingly sentimental film/song/story
   • be cloyingly sentimental about someone/something

   Critics called the movie cloyingly sentimental, full of slow-motion reunions and swelling violins.

   His birthday message was so cloyingly sentimental that I almost laughed out loud.

   The novel avoids being cloyingly sentimental by keeping its emotional scenes short and plain.

2. 2adjectivebefore a noundisapproving

   Showing too much tender feeling toward someone, in a way that others find embarrassing or insincere.

   Grammar: Often describes a person's manner or words rather than a whole work of art: 'a cloyingly sentimental tone of voice.'

   Patterns

   • a cloyingly sentimental tone
   • be cloyingly sentimental toward someone

   She wrote cloyingly sentimental notes to her teacher every single week.

   He became cloyingly sentimental whenever he had had a glass of wine.

   Their cloyingly sentimental public displays made the whole office uncomfortable.

Word forms

Common combinations

cloyingly sentimental film

The festival closed with a cloyingly sentimental film about a lost dog.

cloyingly sentimental song

That cloyingly sentimental song is played at every wedding.

cloyingly sentimental tone

Her letter had a cloyingly sentimental tone that embarrassed him.

sound cloyingly sentimental

The speech sounded cloyingly sentimental to younger listeners.

cloyingly sentimental ending

Many readers disliked the cloyingly sentimental ending.

Synonyms and how they differ

saccharine

Means sweet in a fake way and is usually a little more critical and sharper in tone than 'cloyingly sentimental'.

mawkish

Describes weak, overdone emotion, often with a suggestion of disgust; it is more literary and less common in speech.

soppy

An informal British word for silly, over-tender behavior, much lighter and less formal than 'cloyingly sentimental'.

sentimental

Simply means showing tender feelings; unlike 'cloyingly sentimental', it is often neutral or even positive.

Opposites

Word family

cloying adjective

So sweet or emotional that it becomes unpleasant.

cloy verb

To become unpleasant through too much sweetness or richness; usually used of food or feelings.

sentimentality noun

The quality of showing tender emotion, often more than is appropriate.

sentimentally adverb

In a way that shows tender emotion.

Commonly confused: cloyingly sentimental or sentimental? cloyingly sentimental or cloying?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “cloyingly sentimental”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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