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Sentimental vs Kitsch - What's the difference?

sentimental | kitsch |

As adjectives the difference between sentimental and kitsch

is that sentimental is characterized by sentiment, sentimentality or excess emotion while kitsch is said especially of art and decor that is considered to be of questionable aesthetic value; excessively sentimental, overdone or vulgar.

As a noun kitsch is

art, decorative objects and other forms of representation of questionable artistic or aesthetic value; a representation that is excessively sentimental, overdone, or vulgar.

sentimental

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • characterized by sentiment, sentimentality or excess emotion
  • derived from emotion rather than reason; of or caused by sentiment
  • romantic

    • Derived terms

    * sentimentalism * sentimentality * sentimentally

    Quotations

    * 1885 : , *: Are you in sentimental mood? *: I'll sigh with you. * 1944 : , *: Gonna take a Sentimental Journey, *: Gonna set my heart at ease. *: Gonna make a Sentimental Journey, *: to renew old memories.

    Anagrams

    * ----

    kitsch

    English

    (wikipedia kitsch)

    Noun

    (-)
  • Art, decorative objects and other forms of representation of questionable artistic or aesthetic value; a representation that is excessively sentimental, overdone, or vulgar.
  • * 1939 , , " Avant Garde and Kitsch", The Partisan Review ,
    • Because it can be turned out mechanically, kitsch has become an integral part of our productive system in a way in which true culture could never be, except accidentally.

    Synonyms

    * camp

    Related terms

    * kitschy

    Adjective

    (en-adj)
  • Said especially of art and decor that is considered to be of questionable aesthetic value; excessively sentimental, overdone or vulgar.
  • * 1989 , Graham Greene, Yours etc: Letters to the Press 1945-1989 , ISBN 1871061229, p. 243,
  • * 1996 , Robert Silberman, "The stuff of art: Judy Onofrio", American Craft , Jun/Jul 1996, pp. 40-45,
    • Abe Lincoln, Paul Bunyan and kitsch souvenir coconut heads come across as icons of masculinity.
  • * 2005 , Ronald Frame, "Critical Paranoia", Michigan Quarterly Review , Spring 2005, p. 285,
    • I recognized her at once even though she wasn't wearing the tweed hunting outfit and the kitsch headwear.

    Usage notes

    * Although the forms (kitscher) and (kitschest) are attested, those formed on (kitschy) are more common, particularly for the comparative.

    Synonyms

    * corny

    Anagrams

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