Schmaltzy

Schmaltzy describes something excessively sentimental, overly emotional, and often cloyingly sweet. It suggests an insincere or contrived display of feelings, frequently found in entertainment like films, music, and greeting cards. The term implies a lack of genuine emotion, relying instead on predictable tropes and manipulative techniques to evoke a tearful or tender response from the audience or consumer. schmaltzy content often sacrifices subtlety for exaggerated displays of affection and pathos, tending towards the melodramatic. The word itself, derived from the Yiddish word "shmalz" meaning rendered chicken fat, figuratively evokes a greasy, overly-rich quality.

Schmaltzy meaning with examples

• The movie's ending, with its predictable reunion and soaring soundtrack, was undeniably schmaltzy, drawing complaints from critics who considered it a manipulative attempt to tug at heartstrings. Its simplicity lacked complexity, leaving the ending in a state that felt hollow.
• Her attempts at writing romantic poetry, while heartfelt, unfortunately fell flat and read as embarrassingly schmaltzy, using clichés about hearts and stars, leaving critics rolling their eyes. Its use of cliche made its feelings come off as surface level.
• The pop song's repetitive lyrics and overly enthusiastic vocal performance, all designed to elicit a tear, resulted in a decidedly schmaltzy experience. It was cheesy and lacked authenticity to its appeal, seeming overly manufactured.
• During the holiday season, the department store's decorations were so excessively sentimental that the whole spectacle leaned towards being rather schmaltzy, including the over-the-top lighting.
• Despite enjoying the film, he confessed that certain scenes, particularly the montage of couples holding hands, struck him as overly schmaltzy. It went into excessive displays of affection in a forced and unnatural way.