sentiment

/ˈsentɪmənt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈsentɪmənt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈsen-tə-mənt/ (ame, mw)

sentiment — noun

  • sentimentsingular
  • sentimentsplural

1. an attitude or opinion about a situation that comes from feeling rather than pur

1.名詞B2
釋義

an attitude or opinion about a situation that comes from feeling rather than purely from logic — for example, the general mood among citizens regarding a new law, or one's personal impression of a colleague's proposal.

例句

Ezra expressed his sentiment that the new overtime policy placed an unfair burden on junior staff.

Public sentiment on plastic waste shifted sharply after images of injured sea turtles went viral online.

collocation: public sentiment + on + topic

同義詞
  • opinion

    more neutral and less tied to emotion; used for any personal judgment

  • view

    more personal and specific; often implies a reasoned position

  • feeling

    more emotional and less analytical; overlaps with sentiment but is broader

反義詞
  • fact

    a sentiment is based on feeling; a fact is based on evidence

  • logic

    sentiment appeals to emotion; logic appeals to reason

文法句型

sentiment + that-clause

sentiment + about/on/towards + topic

sentiment + among + group

用法筆記

Often appears in the plural form 'sentiments' when referring to specific opinions held by different people ('their sentiments were divided on the issue').

常見錯誤

❌I have a sentiment that we should leave now.
✅I have a feeling / an opinion that we should leave now.
💡'sentiment' in this sense usually appears in set phrases (public sentiment, sentiments on) or group contexts, not as a simple personal opinion.

2. feelings of love, sympathy, or nostalgia, especially when these are judged to be

2.名詞B2
釋義

feelings of love, sympathy, or nostalgia, especially when these are judged to be too strong, inappropriate, or insincere for the situation — for example, sentimental words in a farewell speech that feel overdone, or emotional reactions dismissed as impractical.

例句

The movie was full of cheap sentiment and unrealistic romantic scenes.

disapproving use: cheap sentiment

Selim told his board there was no room for sentiment when cutting the company's failing product lines.

negative construction: no room for sentiment

同義詞
  • sentimentality

    more strongly disapproving; specifically implies excessive or mawkish emotion

  • emotion

    broader and more neutral; lacks the critical tone of sentiment in this sense

  • tenderness

    positive and genuine, unlike the often-dismissive flavour of sentiment

反義詞
  • practicality

    focus on what works rather than emotional appeal

  • rationality

    decision-making based on logic rather than feeling

文法句型

full of sentiment

no room for sentiment

cheap/empty sentiment

用法筆記

Commonly used in disapproving contexts ('cheap sentiment', 'empty sentiment') or in negative constructions that contrast emotion with practicality ('no room for sentiment').

常見錯誤

❌The card was full of nice sentiment.' (positive, neutral use)
✅The card was full of warm feeling, but not cheap sentiment.
💡sense 2 carries a critical or contrastive tone; for a purely positive meaning, use 'warmth' or 'affection' instead.