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Sentimentalist - Meaning, Definition & English Examples

A sentimentalist is someone who values emotions and nostalgia, often focusing on tender or romantic feelings. They tend to be deeply affected by sentimental memories or ideas.

sentimentalist

/ˌsɛn.t̬əˈmen.t̬əl.ɪst/ /ˌsen.tɪˈmen.təl.ɪst/

Definition:

A person who indulges in excessive emotion or nostalgia, often idealizing the past.

Synonyms:

romanticist, idealist, dreamer

Part of Speech:

noun

Antonyms:

realist, cynic

Common Collocations:

sentimentalist approach, hopeless sentimentalist, typical sentimentalist

Derivatives:

sentimentalism, sentimentality

Usage Tips:

Use "sentimentalist" to describe someone overly emotional or nostalgic; avoid for mild sentimentality.

Common Phrases:

die-hard sentimentalist, hopeless romantic, old-fashioned sentimentalist

Etymology:

Derived from "sentiment," from Latin "sentimentum," meaning feeling or opinion; suffix "-alist" denotes a person with a tendency.

Examples:

  • 1. She is such a sentimentalist that she keeps every childhood toy.
  • 2. The movie’s nostalgic tone appeals to every sentimentalist in the audience.
  • 3. He’s a hopeless sentimentalist who still writes love letters by hand.
  • 4. Critics dismissed her as a sentimentalist for idealizing the past too much.

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