Nay, ev'n each moral sentimental stroke, Where not
the character, but poet, spoke, He lopped, as
foreign to his chaste design, Nor spared a useless,
though a golden line. --Whitehead.
2. Inclined to sentiment; having an excess of sentiment or
sensibility; indulging the sensibilities for their own
sake; artificially or affectedly tender; -- often in a
reproachful sense.
A sentimental mind is rather prone to overwrought
feeling and exaggerated tenderness. --Whately.
3. Addressed or pleasing to the emotions only, usually to the
weaker and the unregulated emotions.
Usage: {Sentimental}, {Romantic}. Sentimental usually
describes an error or excess of the sensibilities;
romantic, a vice of the imagination. The votary of the
former gives indulgence to his sensibilities for the
mere luxury of their excitement; the votary of the
latter allows his imagination to rove for the pleasure
of creating scenes of ideal enjoiment. ``Perhaps there
is no less danger in works called sentimental. They
attack the heart more successfully, because more
cautiously.'' --V. Knox. ``I can not but look on an
indifferency of mind, as to the good or evil things of
this life, as a mere romantic fancy of such who would
be thought to be much wiser than they ever were, or
could be.'' --Bp. Stillingfleet.