Standard Lemma guide

schmaltzy

adj · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈʃmɒltsi/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Overly sentimental, emotional, maudlin or bathetic.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: kitschy, mushy, sappy, bathetic, cheesy, squishy, corny, drippy, gooey, hokey, icky, kitsch, maudlin, mawkish, overemotional, oversentimental, overwrought, schmaltzy, sickly sweet, slushy, soppy, soupy, syrupy, treacly

Antonyms: none provided

2

adjective satellite

Meaning 2

effusively or insincerely emotional

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a bathetic novel
  • maudlin expressions of sympathy
  • mushy effusiveness
  • a schmaltzy song
  • sentimental soap operas
  • slushy poetry

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bathetic, drippy, hokey, maudlin, mawkish, kitschy, mushy, schmalzy, sentimental, soppy, soupy, slushy

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From schmaltz + -y.

Across languages

Translations

11 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • French: larmoyant — overly sentimental, emotional, maudlin or bathetic
  • French: tire-larmes — overly sentimental, emotional, maudlin or bathetic
  • German: schmalzig — overly sentimental, emotional, maudlin or bathetic
  • German: rührselig — overly sentimental, emotional, maudlin or bathetic
  • German: larmoyant — overly sentimental, emotional, maudlin or bathetic
  • Greek: σαχλός (sachlós) — overly sentimental, emotional, maudlin or bathetic
  • Russian: сентимента́льный (sentimentálʹnyj) — overly sentimental, emotional, maudlin or bathetic
  • Russian: слезли́вый (slezlívyj) — overly sentimental, emotional, maudlin or bathetic
  • Russian: слаща́вый (slaščávyj) — overly sentimental, emotional, maudlin or bathetic
  • Swedish: tårdrypande — overly sentimental, emotional, maudlin or bathetic
  • Swedish: sliskig — overly sentimental, emotional, maudlin or bathetic