How to Use sentimental in a Sentence

sentimental

adjective
  • He has sentimental ideas about the past.
  • He has a sentimental attachment to his old high school.
  • I tend to get very sentimental when I think about my childhood.
  • She saved her wedding gown for sentimental reasons.
  • Lee, like me, was not overly sentimental, and this served us both well.
    — Carole Radziwill, Town & Country, 22 Dec. 2020
  • The pieces, of course, held a great deal of sentimental value.
    — Matthew J. Palm, orlandosentinel.com, 5 Apr. 2021
  • But this is no joke, nor a cheesy, sentimental closure.
    — Marc Masters, Pitchfork, 24 Apr. 2026
  • Olof is disturbingly sane, but there is not a sentimental bone in his body.
    — Inga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 May 2026
  • The ones that mean the most have sentimental value rather than book value.
    — BostonGlobe.com, 27 Aug. 2021
  • Some of the items on the list seemed have held clear sentimental value for the people who lost them.
    — Ricardo Cano, San Francisco Chronicle, 11 June 2022
  • For me, there’s one angle of my mother’s face that is just very sentimental for me.
    — Virginia Heffernan, WIRED, 17 Oct. 2024
  • Sure, a cutting board or new set of dishes might not sound like the most sentimental gift out there.
    — Laura Lajiness, Glamour, 29 Oct. 2021
  • Hold on to these sentimental and valuable items.
    — Ashley Poskin, Martha Stewart, 8 Jan. 2026
  • The gesture is sentimental, showy, and, in all its glitz, moving in a way that haunts me.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026
  • Place a photo of the deceased or any sentimental item that reminds you of your loved one.
    — Shanti Lerner, The Arizona Republic, 21 Oct. 2022
  • Her cries of joy led to a group hug that sent waves of sentimental fervor through the audience.
    — Stephen Daw, Billboard, 3 Oct. 2023
  • Lázár is less of a reflection on the present than a sentimental escape from it.
    — Literary Hub, 1 May 2026
  • Fans of the old hotel began to fear an end to their sentimental journey.
    — Dan Barry, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2023
  • Nick took charge on the sentimental speeches.
    — Heather Bushman, IndyStar, 3 Nov. 2025
  • The opening of the gift was a sentimental moment for more reasons than one.
    — Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 6 Feb. 2025
  • The idea that small acts of kindness can change the world isn’t just a nice sentimental thought — it’s backed by science.
    — Kate Vitasek, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025
  • The final moments of the film are touching, sentimental, and will hit any dad right in the feels.
    — Terry Terrones, EW.com, 17 Jan. 2023
  • Giving from the heart can also take the form of sentimental gifts, experts said.
    — Washington Post, 4 Nov. 2021
  • There’s something very sentimental in the blurring of that line.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 21 Jan. 2026
  • Michael is sort of the one that sparked the whole idea for the museum, so that’s my sentimental favorite.
    — Jacob Gurvis, sun-sentinel.com, 17 Nov. 2021
  • He's not known for being overly sentimental, but the chef has a soft spot for his wife Tana.
    — Grace Gavilanes, Peoplemag, 3 Aug. 2022
  • Well, there’s the sentimental side of me that grew up watching Carson that liked that.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 20 Feb. 2026
  • That’s not to say that even the toughest of Bruins don’t get sentimental.
    — Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2023
  • In her own sleep space, McKissick has hung sentimental works from her travels.
    — Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 7 Jan. 2026
  • In her own sleep space, McKissick has hung sentimental works from her travels.
    — Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 7 Oct. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sentimental.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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