schmaltz

American

[shmahlts, shmawlts] / ʃmɑlts, ʃmɔlts /

Also schmalz sometimes shmaltz

noun

Informal. exaggerated sentimentalism, as in music or soap operas.
liquid animal fat, especially of a chicken.

schmaltz British

/ ʃmɔːlts, ʃmælts /

noun

excessive sentimentality, esp in music
animal fat used in cooking

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of schmaltz

First recorded in 1930–35; from Yiddish shmalts or German Schmalz; cognate with smelt ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Balancing earnest schmaltz with sharp humor, the show works best as a hangout comedy about an extended friend group with dynamite chemistry, with echoes of previous Bill Lawrence shows like “Scrubs” and “Cougar Town.”

From MarketWatch • Dec. 31, 2025

The movie purports to dip into the deep well of Shakespearean magnificence but emerges only with a ladle full of greasy schmaltz.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 27, 2025

Repackaging the sounds of Queen and Elton John for the TikTok generation, it's efficient and catchy – though I'd avoid the saccharine Momma Song if you have an aversion to schmaltz.

From BBC • Jun. 15, 2025

Jimmy Cagney’s old schmaltz vehicle "Yankee Doodle Dandy" looks restrained by comparison.

From Salon • Sep. 7, 2024

My stomach turned at the thought of boiled potatoes, or mashed potatoes, or potato latkes fried in schmaltz.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023