Oversentimentality

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A tendency to express excessive emotion or sentiment, often resulting in a lack of critical perspective
2. Displaying an overwhelming depth of feeling that may cloud judgment or reality
3. Featuring an exaggerated emotional response that detracts from sincerity and authenticity

Etymology: "Oversentimentality" is a plain compound: the prefix "over-", meaning excessive or too much, attached to "sentimentality." The prefix is an old English element, used in English since Old English times to mean "above," "beyond," or "too much," as in "overeat" or "overdo." Its use to mark excess is productive, so writers can attach it to almost any noun to say that something has gone beyond a sensible degree. The base word "sentimentality" traces back to "sentiment," which came into English from French in the 1600s and originally meant a thought, opinion, or feeling expressed in words. Over time, the sense narrowed toward tender or emotional feeling, and "sentimentality" developed in the 1800s to describe emotion that is displayed more than it is earned. Adding "over-" intensifies that criticism, so the compound names a habit of feeling too much in a way that dulls judgment.