mawkish
/ˈmɑːkɪʃ/
Group 11Difficulty 3/3
Definition
- (adjective)
- Sentimental in a feeble or sickly way GRE
Example in Context
The film's mawkish treatment of the tragedy alienated critics who felt the subject matter deserved a more restrained approach.
Synonyms
overly sweetsappysentimental
Etymology
Having the quality of maggots — overly sentimental and sickly.
- mawk- (Middle English) — maggot
- -ish (Old English) — having the quality of
Memory Aid
🐟Sounds like “mock fish”
A fish wearing a tutu, crying over a sad movie — so MAWKISH it’s ridiculous!
Visual Association
🤮A sappy romance film where couples are throwing up from the excessive sweetness.
Semantic Clusters
Synonym Groups
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “mawkish” mean on the GRE?
mawkish (adjective) means “Sentimental in a feeble or sickly way”. The film's mawkish treatment of the tragedy alienated critics who felt the subject matter deserved a more restrained approach.
How to remember “mawkish” for the GRE?
Mnemonic: “mawkish” sounds like “mock fish”. A fish wearing a tutu, crying over a sad movie — so MAWKISH it’s ridiculous!
What are synonyms for “mawkish”?
Common synonyms: overly sweet, sappy, sentimental.