Mawkishly

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a manner that displays excessive sentimentality or tearful emotion in a way that seems insincere or overly dramatic
2. With an exaggerated show of feeling or emotional appeal that comes across as false or weakly maudlin
3. In a sickeningly sentimental fashion that evokes tearfulness through contrived or cloying emotional expression

Etymology: Mawkishly is simply the adverb form of "mawkish," which means sickly sentimental or, in older usage, nauseating. The adjective is built from "mawk," a word for a maggot or grub, and the Old English-derived "-ish" suffix meaning "having the quality of." So a mawkish performance is one that has the quality of something sickly and cloying. Adding "-ly" turns the adjective into an adverb describing how something is done. The "-ly" ending comes from Old English "-līċe," a shortened form of an older word meaning "body" or "form," which gradually became a general marker of manner. A mawkishly sentimental film, then, is one that wallows in feeling in a sickly way.

Synonyms: sentimentally, affectedly, tearfully

Antonyms: sincerely, genuinely