What does schmaltz mean?
Schmaltz means excessively sentimental or emotionally indulgent material, especially a passage in a film, book, song, or performance that seems designed to make an audience cry or feel moved. The word carries a mildly critical tone: it suggests emotion that is conspicuous, overly lush, or calculated rather than genuinely felt. It can describe a general quality, as in “the soundtrack is full of schmaltz,” or refer more specifically to a sentimental scene or passage. Although schmaltz is sometimes used approvingly for warm, nostalgic work, its defining use is usually evaluative rather than purely descriptive. The term comes through Yiddish and ultimately reflects a Germanic vocabulary associated with fat or dripping, from which its figurative sense developed. Schmaltzy is the usual adjective, while schmaltzily is a possible adverb formed directly from the noun.
Excessive or cloying sentimentality, especially in artistic expression.
"The actor seemed to be performing pure schmaltz."
Informal and usually dismissive, though it can occasionally be used less critically for sentimental material.
To behave or write in an excessively sentimental manner.
"The novel schmalts its emotional ending."
Informal and relatively uncommon; the noun is much more common.
The plural is used when referring to separate instances or examples of sentimentality.
"The film critic wrote that its final scenes were full of schmalts."
Schmaltz came to English through Yiddish, where it originally referred to rendered fat before becoming a word for emotional excess.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of schmaltz
English borrowed schmaltz from Yiddish shmaltz, which in turn came from German Schmalz, an old word for fat or rendered fat. The English word originally referred to something fat or greasy and developed its modern sense of excessive sentimentality through the idea of something emotionally rich, cloying, or overly indulgent. German Schmalz and Dutch smout reflect the shared Germanic vocabulary for fat and dripping. The figurative English sense became established in the early 20th century, particularly in North American speech.
Related word forms
How schmaltz is actually used
Schmaltz is informal and generally critical or mildly dismissive. It is especially common in North American English and often refers to works that are perceived as overly romantic or manipulative.
Easily confused with schmaltz
Sentimentality is the broad quality of being excessively emotional, whereas schmaltz usually implies a deliberately or unmistakably sentimental style or passage.