sentimental
gb/sˌɛntəmˈɛntəl/ us/sˌɛntəmˈɛntəl/
B2
English
~ 6300
érzelmes, érzelgős, érzelmi, eszmei értékű
B2
1
érzelmes
B1
Usage pattern:
[someone]/[something] is sentimental (about [something])
He keeps a box of sentimental letters from his first love.
Egy doboznyi érzelmes, az első szerelmétől kapott levelet őriz.
The film is sentimental without becoming too sweet or unrealistic.
A film érzelmes, de nem lesz túl édeskés vagy valószerűtlen.
She gets sentimental every time she hears that old song from her childhood.
It was a sentimental speech that made many people in the audience tear up.
They took a sentimental trip back to the town where they first met.
Learner examples
This is a very sentimental song about family.
Ez egy nagyon érzelmes dal a családról.
My mother is sentimental and cries at happy movies.
Anyukám érzelmes, és a boldog végű filmeken is sír.
I feel sentimental when I look at my old school photos.
He wrote a sentimental message in her birthday card.
She became sentimental when she talked about her grandparents.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'sentimental' when they just mean 'important' or 'serious'. 'Sentimental' specifically involves soft, tender emotions like love, affection, or nostalgia. For example, a 'sentimental speech' is one that makes people feel warm or moved, not just a speech on an important topic.
Meaning
showing tender, nostalgic feelings
Collocations
sentimental music
|sentimental movie
|sentimental story
|sentimental mood
|sentimental person
|sentimental about [something]
Synonyms
emotional (Broader and more neutral; does not always suggest the gentle, nostalgic quality that 'sentimental' often has.)
|
tender (Focuses more on gentle affection, less on nostalgia or memories.)
Antonyms
unsentimental (Describes someone or something that does not show gentle or nostalgic feelings.)
|
cold (Suggests a lack of warmth or emotion, not moved by tender feelings.)
Themes
emotions
|relationships
|arts
|daily life
|communication
Definition
Showing or caused by soft, warm feelings like love or happy memories of the past.
Showing, expressing, or based on gentle emotions such as love, affection, or nostalgia.
C1
2
érzelgős
B2
Usage pattern:
[something] is (too/overly) sentimental (for [someone])
The movie’s ending was far too sentimental for my taste.
A film vége az én ízlésemnek túlságosan is érzelgős volt.
Some critics called the novel sentimental and emotionally manipulative.
Néhány kritikus érzelgősnek és érzelmileg manipulatívnak nevezte a regényt.
He gave a sentimental speech that felt rehearsed and insincere.
The ad is so sentimental that it almost feels like a parody.
She rolls her eyes at sentimental love songs and romantic clichés.
Learner examples
The film was nice, but the last scene was too sentimental.
A film szép volt, de az utolsó jelenet túl érzelgősre sikerült.
He dislikes sentimental stories that make people cry too easily.
Nem szereti az olyan érzelgős történeteket, amelyek túl könnyen megríkatják az embereket.
Some people think the show is sweet; others say it is sentimental.
The commercial is very sentimental and tries too hard to make you cry.
Her letter was so sentimental that it did not feel natural.
Common mistake:
Learners may think 'sentimental' is always positive. In reviews or criticism, it is often negative or mildly disapproving, meaning the emotions feel too strong, childish, or fake. Compare: 'a sentimental movie' (often negative) vs. 'a moving movie' (usually positive).
Meaning
overly emotional, a bit silly
Collocations
too sentimental
|overly sentimental
|corny and sentimental
|cloyingly sentimental
|sentimental ending
|sentimental lyrics
Synonyms
mawkish (Stronger and more negative, suggesting something is sickly or disgustingly emotional.)
|
sappy (Informal; suggests silly, childish, or cheesy emotion, often in movies or songs.)
Antonyms
restrained (Shows control of emotion; not expressing feelings in an over-the-top way.)
|
realistic (Emotion that feels true-to-life rather than overly sweet or idealized.)
Themes
emotions
|arts
|criticism
|communication
Definition
Showing soft feelings in a way that is too strong or not realistic, so it can seem silly or fake.
Showing or expressing gentle emotions in an excessive or naive way that may seem silly, unrealistic, or insincere.
B2
3
érzelmi
B1
Usage pattern:
[something] has sentimental value (for/to [someone])
The watch is not worth much money, but it has great sentimental value.
Az óra pénzben nem ér sokat, de nagy érzelmi értéke van.
She kept the old ticket stubs purely for sentimental reasons.
Pusztán érzelmi okokból tartotta meg a régi jegycsonkokat.
He has a strong sentimental attachment to his childhood home.
That broken guitar is a sentimental favorite, even though he never plays it anymore.
They decided not to sell the cottage for sentimental reasons.
Learner examples
This ring is cheap, but it has sentimental value to me.
Ez a gyűrű olcsó, de számomra érzelmi értéke van.
I keep these letters for sentimental reasons.
Érzelmi okokból őrzöm ezeket a leveleket.
He will not throw away the toy because of sentimental value.
She has a sentimental attachment to her first car.
They visit that town every year for sentimental reasons.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say something is 'sentimental' when they only mean it is 'important' or 'valuable'. 'Sentimental' in this sense always points to emotional or personal reasons (memories, feelings), not money or usefulness. Common fixed phrases are 'sentimental value' and 'for sentimental reasons'.
Meaning
emotionally valuable, not materially valuable
Collocations
sentimental value
|for sentimental reasons
|sentimental attachment
|sentimental favorite
|strong sentimental ties
|sentimental connection
Synonyms
cherished (Focuses on being deeply loved or treasured, not specifically on emotional vs. financial value.)
|
personally meaningful (Highlights that something is important to one person, but not necessarily in emotional contrast to money or practicality.)
Antonyms
replaceable (Suggests something has no special emotional value and could easily be exchanged for another.)
|
purely practical (Valued only for use or function, not for feelings or memories.)
Themes
emotions
|possessions
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Special to a person because of feelings or memories, not because it is useful or expensive.
Valuable to someone because of personal feelings, memories, or associations, rather than for practical use or money.
Grammar
Dictionary form
sentimental
IPA
GB/sˌɛntəmˈɛntəl/
US/sˌɛntəmˈɛntəl/
Syllables & stress
sen - ti - ment - al (4 syllables)
Stress on 3rd syllable (ment)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: sentimental
Word family
Core family
Negative and opposite forms
unsentimental
adjective
Advanced or less common
sentimentalize
verb
sentimentalism
noun
sentimentalist
noun
Expressions
a sentimental favorite
1/ə sˌɛntəmˈɛntəl fˈeɪvɚɪt/
fixed phrase
choice liked for emotional reasons
A person or thing people like and support mainly because of warm feelings or memories, not because it is the best choice on paper.
Examples
- The retired player was a sentimental favorite to win the award.
- The small local restaurant is a sentimental favorite among residents.
a sentimental journey
1/ə sˌɛntəmˈɛntəl d͡ʒˈɚni/
fixed phrase
trip to revisit old memories
A trip you take mainly to remember and feel past experiences again, not just to see new places.
Examples
- Returning to her hometown after thirty years was a sentimental journey.
- They planned a sentimental journey to the place where they first met.
for sentimental reasons
1/fɚ sˌɛntəmˈɛntəl ɹˈizənz/
fixed phrase
for emotional, not practical, reasons
Because of personal feelings or memories, not because it is practical or logical.
Examples
- They kept the old house for sentimental reasons.
- She still works there partly for sentimental reasons, even though the pay is low.
get sentimental about [something]
1/ɡˈɛt sˌɛntəmˈɛntəl əbˈaʊt sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
become nostalgic or soft about
To start feeling soft, warm, or nostalgic emotions when you think or talk about something.
Examples
- He gets sentimental about his college days whenever he sees old photos.
- I always get sentimental about my grandparents during the holidays.
sentimental value
1/sˌɛntəmˈɛntəl vˈælju/
fixed phrase
emotional value to someone
The special emotional worth something has for a person because of memories or feelings, not because it is expensive or useful.
Examples
- The necklace only has sentimental value, but I could never sell it.
- Even though the car is old, it has sentimental value for him because it was his father’s.