Maudlin — The Word of the Day
It is a musical instrument? A sewing tool? Or perhaps an adjective of some sort?
This is a pretty advanced word, applicable only in pretty specific situations, and akin to treacly, saccharine, mawkish, and quite a few more.
Let’s learn it!
📚️ Definition of Maudlin
Maudlin (adjective): Self-pityingly or tearfully sentimental, often in an exaggerated or insincere way, especially when drunk. Example: maudlin nostalgia for the “good old days.”
🗣️ Pronunciation of Maudlin
IPA: /ˈmɔd.lɪn/ (See IPA key)
Respelling: MAWD-lin
📰 Examples of Maudlin
Here are some examples of the word maudlin:
After three glasses of wine at the reunion, Kern became maudlin, sobbing about how many friends she had lost touch with since middle school.
Charles Dickens was criticized by some Victorian readers for his maudlin portrayal of Little Nell’s death in The Old Curiosity Shop, his fourth novel.
“As time goes on there is a variety of drunkenness, among the younger men especially. Some stagger about in each other’s arms, whispering maudlin words—others start quarrels upon the slightest pretext, and come to blows and have to be pulled apart.” — Upton Sinclair, The Jungle (1906)