Alexi Zentner

I get very tired of books that feel emotionally empty. I would much rather have writers err on the side of being overly sentimental than not. I think that the perfect balance is a story that moves you without being maudlin, but I don't enjoy books that are empty of emotion and there's no connection to the characters.

Canadian Writer

Jason Bateman

That straight man character is a short trip between comedy and drama in a project, so I can play the comedic beat on the same page as a dramatic beat. It gives me a lot of freedom as an actor to play scenes in multiple ways because I don't play the clown, nor do I play someone who is particularly maudlin.

American Actor

Gavin Newsom

You only get one chance in this thing called life. I know that is a bit maudlin and obscure, but it's a fact, and you can make a profound difference in people's lives without having a title in front of your name.

American Politician

Neal Brennan

Sentimental is not bad, but it's probably the most likely to go awry. It's the hardest to do and not have it end up being 'Forrest Gump' or something. Maudlin - I just don't want it to be maudlin.

American Comedian

Martin Van Creveld

I want to put any number of assorted 'ists' - such as relativists, deconstructionists, destructivists, postmodernists, the more maudlin kind of pacifists and feminists - firmly in their place.

Israeli Historian

Jane Haddam

You've either got to find a way to make your continuing characters insteresting without making them maudlin or overwrought, or you've got to put more emphasis on the suspects.

American Writer

Bill Paxton

My father always read obituaries to me out loud, not because he was maudlin or morbid, but because they were mini biographies.

Teddy Thompson

I love the sad songs with their maudlin, self-deprecating, almost funny lyrics. As an Englishman, they make a lot of sense.

British Musician

Sam Taylor-Johnson

I love karaoke. I love maudlin country ballads. In another life, I'd be Loretta Lynn.

English Director

Michael Finkel

Not to get too maudlin, but I think all mistakes are tests for one's mettle.

American Journalist

Usually used when emotions are seen as excessive or overly dramatic in a given situation.

Emotional Trigger

Often used in contexts where alcohol or memories invoke nostalgic feelings.

Situational Use

Carries a slightly disapproving tone, signaling that the sentimentality is excessive.

Negative Connotation

More commonly found in personal storytelling rather than in formal writing or speech.

Less Formal

Perceptions of 'maudlin' may vary; what's overly sentimental in one culture may not be in another.