Word of the Day

Wednesday October 28, 2009

maudlin [MAWD-lin]

adjective

Tearful; easily moved to tears; excessively sentimental.

Deidra Dionne fought back tears Friday as she talked about her career as a freestyle aerials skier being "ripped away" by the recent discovery of a benign brain tumour that could trigger unpredictable seizures. But even as she lamented the heartbreak of losing the opportunity to compete in an Olympics on Canadian soil, the woman who showed extraordinary courage in a sport that demands a certain level of gutsy bravado, wasn't about to go all maudlin at a news conference in Vancouver.

Gary Kingston, "Tumour grounds skier's Olympic dream", The Vancouver Sun, Oct 3, 2009
The actor, a Tony nominee for his turn in the original "Dreamgirls," swings with infectious glee on "Gonna Build a Mountain," in which the Army-era Sammy even gets white-bread WACs moving to the beat. His Act 2 take on "What Kind of Fool Am I?" though, lapses into the maudlin and overwrought, and is one of Babatunde's few real misfires.

James Hebert, "Globe's 'Sammy' a happy memory of a painful past", The San Diego Union - Tribune, Oct 5, 2009
Alas, there was small room for hope--Backus's eyes were heavy and bloodshot, his sweaty face was crimson, his speech maudlin and thick, his body sawed drunkenly about with the weaving motion of the ship. He drained another glass to the dregs, whilst the cards were being dealt.

Mark Twain (1835-1910) American author and humorist. Life On The Mississippi, Part 8 (1883)

Origin of the Word

Maudlin, approximately 1607, derives from Middle English proper name Maudelen, from Magdalene, originally surname of Mary, the repentant sinner forgiven by Jesus in Luke vii.37. In paintings, she was often shown weeping as a sign of repentance.