maudlin

adj.
Effusively or tearfully sentimental: "displayed an almost maudlin concern for the welfare of animals" (Aldous Huxley). See synonyms at sentimental.

[Alteration of (MARY) MAGDALENE, who was frequently depicted as a tearful penitent.]

maudlinly maud'lin·ly adv.
maudlinness maud'lin·ness n.

(MAWD-lin)

adjective
1. Overly sentimental.
2. Foolishly sentimental because of drunkenness.

Etymology
After Mary Magdalene, a Biblical character who was a follower of Jesus. In medieval art she was depicted as a penitent weeping for her sins (she washed the feet of Jesus with her tears) and her name became synonymous with tearful sentimentality. The name Magdalene means "of Magdala" in Greek and is derived after a town on the Sea of Galilee. The name Magdala, in turn, means tower in Aramaic. So here we have a word coined after a person, who was named after a place, which was named after a thing. In an allusion to her earlier life, Mary Magdalene's name has sprouted another eponym, magdalene, meaning a reformed prostitute


Mary Magdalene by Titian:

Usage
"In this maudlin melodrama, all that was missing were the violins." — Jeannette Layne-Clark; Minister on Stage; Daily Nation (Barbados); Mar 20, 2005.

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adjective

Affectedly or extravagantly emotional: bathetic, gushy, mawkish, romantic, sentimental, slushy, sobby, soft, soppy. Informal gooey, mushy, schmaltzy, sloppy, soupy. Slang drippy, sappy, tear-jerking. See feelings.

adj

Definition: teary, overemotional
Antonyms: austere, calm, matter-of-fact, undemonstrative, unimaginative

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IN BRIEF: Sentimental in a silly or tearful way.

After awhile, it was difficult to listen to the maudlin dialogue of the film.

Dansk (Danish)
adj. - rørstrømskhed, sentimentalitet, flæberi

Nederlands (Dutch)
sentimenteel, aangeschoten, sentiment

Français (French)
adj. - larmoyant, mélancolique

Deutsch (German)
adj. - gefühlsselig

Ελληνική (Greek)
adj. - μεμψίμοιρος, κλαψιάρικος

Italiano (Italian)
sdolcinato

Português (Portuguese)
adj. - sentimental

Русский (Russian)
сентиментальность, сентиментальный

Español (Spanish)
adj. - sensiblero, llorón

Svenska (Swedish)
adj. - gråtmild

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
容易流泪的, 醉后好哭的, 感伤的

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 容易流淚的, 醉後好哭的, 感傷的

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 매우 감상적인, 눈물이 많은

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 涙もろい, 感傷的な

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(صفه) عاطفي, حزين, منفعل, متأثر‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮רגשני, פורץ בבכי‬

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