sentimental
- 01 B1 Intermediate
connected to feelings of sadness, love, or nostalgia for the past.
characterized by or exhibiting tender emotions, often linked to nostalgia or personal history.
Simple“She kept the old ticket stub for sentimental reasons because it was from their first date.”
In context“He kept the rusted bicycle in the garage for purely sentimental reasons, as it was the last gift his grandfather had given him before passing away.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
showing too much emotion in a way that feels silly or weak.
excessively or affectedly emotional; often used pejoratively to describe art or stories that rely on cheap emotional appeals.
Simple“The movie was a bit too sentimental for me, with everyone crying at the end.”
In context“Critics dismissed the novel as a sentimental melodrama that failed to address the complex political realities of the era it depicted.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
describes a choice or value based on how you feel rather than what is practical.
derived from or determined by emotion rather than reason or objective value.
Simple“The house has great sentimental value to the family, even if it needs many repairs.”
In context“While the market price of the heirloom was negligible, its sentimental value to the heirs made the legal dispute over its ownership remarkably bitter.”
Synonyms
From sentiment + -al.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.