Sentimentallyise

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To imbue or treat with excessive emotion or nostalgia ; to render something artificially affectionate in style or content ; to transform actions or language to appear unduly tender or wistful
2. Making something appear overly emotional or nostalgic ; shaping behavior or expression to become sentimentally charged ; converting a situation or description into one that feels artificially affectionate
3. Causing language, actions, or situations to be characterized by exaggerated emotion or wistfulness ; altering something to become imbued with undue sentiment ; infusing artificial kindness or nostalgia into expression or conduct

Etymology: The verb in question is a relatively modern formation in English, built by combining the noun "sentiment" with a verbalizing suffix. "Sentiment" itself entered English in the late Middle Ages, derived from Latin "sentimentum," meaning a feeling or opinion, which in turn comes from "sentire," to feel or perceive. The noun captured the idea of emotional or intellectual attitudes, and over time, speakers sought ways to express the act of imbuing something with such feelings. The suffix "-al" turns "sentiment" into "sentimental," an adjective describing something characterized by or appealing to tender emotions. This adjective became common in English by the 18th century, especially as the culture increasingly valorized emotional expression in literature and daily life. The next step, adding "-ise" (a British English verb-forming suffix equivalent to the American "-ize"), creates a verb meaning "to make or treat in a sentimental manner." Thus, this verb essentially means to cause something to become sentimental or to express or infuse with sentimentality. Its formation follows a common pattern of English verb creation: starting from a noun, converting it into an adjective, and then verbalizing that adjective. The addition of "-ise" aligns with British English conventions, making the verb more prevalent in UK usage. While not found in many historical texts due to its somewhat specialized or playful nature, the term likely arose in the 19th or 20th century as speakers and writers sought more precise or stylistically nuanced verbs to describe emotional influence or expression. It reflects the ongoing flexibility of English to generate new words through suffixation, especially in social and literary contexts that explore emotions and their expression.

Synonyms: sentimentalize, romanticize, idealize

Antonyms: desensitize, rationalize