# sappy

/sˈæpi/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Adjective

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/sappy
Updated: 2026-10-13

## Definition

too emotional or sweet in a silly way. You use it for movies, songs or love notes that try hard to make you feel something.

For teachers: excessively sentimental to the point of seeming silly, naive or mawkish.

## Examples

- She loves sappy love songs from the 90s.
- He writes her a sappy card every Valentine's Day and she pretends to be annoyed.
- The novel avoids a sappy ending, choosing quiet realism over grand declarations of undying love.

## Usage notes

- Typically placed before the noun it modifies, as in 'a sappy film'.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.