sentimentally

Sentimentally is an adverb that denotes performing or expressing in a sentimental manner—employing nostalgia, tenderness, or excessive feeling. It can describe language, writing, performances, or behavior designed to provoke an emotional response.

In criticism, sentimentality or sentimentalism is often used pejoratively to suggest manipulation through emotional appeal, rather than genuine emotional depth.

Etymology: The word is formed from the noun sentiment plus the adverbial suffix -ly; it dates from the early modern period.

Usage notes: The degree of sentimentality is context dependent; in literature and film, some may value sentimentality as a rhetorical tool, while others view it as saccharine or melodramatic.

Examples: The novel's scenes of reunion are often described as sentimentally moving; the speech was criticized for being sentimentally overdone.

See also: sentimentality, sentimentalism, mawkishness, lachrymose.