Meanings
present singular third person sentimentalizes · participle present sentimentalizing · participle past sentimentalized · past sentimentalized
- transitiveTo give a sentimental feel to.
Let us not sentimentalize things just because they are old. Getting all dewy-eyed about it because it was started in the 17th century doesn't make sense when we're talking about the town dump.
- intransitiveTo think or act in a sentimental manner; to get sentimental.
he learnt to sentimentalize over cathedrals and monasteries , pictures and statues , saints and kaisers
1857, Charles Kingsley, “(please specify the page)”, in Two Years Ago, volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Macmillan and Co., →OCLC
Synonyms & antonyms
verblook at with sentimentality or turn into an object of sentiment
verbmake (someone or something) sentimental or imbue with sentimental qualities
verbact in a sentimental way or indulge in sentimental thoughts or expression
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*sent-
- Proto-Italic*sentiō
- Latinsentiō
- Latinsentimentum
- Old Frenchsentement
- Englishsentiment
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
- Englishsentimental
- Englishsentimentalize
From sentimental + -ize.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
sentimentalize. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sentimentalize
“sentimentalize.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sentimentalize. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sentimentalize,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sentimentalize.
Source: sentimentalize on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.