adjective

sappy

SAP-ee/ˈsæpi/

Sentimental in an excessive or clichéd way.

The excessively sentimental, heart-covered card makes the exchange seem sappy.

Two adults exchange an excessively sentimental heart-covered card while a nearby friend looks amused, no oversized cartoon anatomy.

Etymology

Originally “full of sap,” sappy later meant foolish or foolishly sentimental. That shift may have passed through “sodden, soggy,” referred to sapwood, or drawn on the image of a green, immature tree.

In context

Town Hall Seattle39:45

I think it actually helped shape me as a writer in many ways and I'm really grateful for that. That's my little sappy moment, but it's true.

Ijeoma Oluo with Charles Mudede: So You Want to Talk About Race | Town Hall Seattle

More examples

I like romantic songs, but these lyrics are too sappy.
She chooses a funny birthday card instead of a sappy one.
His apology sounds sappier every time he rehearses it.

Forms

sappy · sappier · sappiest

sappiness noun — The quality of being excessively sentimental.

Similar words

mawkish: More formal; emphasizes sentimentality that feels sickening or embarrassing.
cloying: Emphasizes sweetness or sentiment that becomes unpleasant through excess.
sentimental: Can describe tender feelings without suggesting excess or clichés.