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schmaltz

English

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schmaltz¹

  • /ʃmɒlts/ UK
  • /ʃmɔːlts/ UK
  • /ʃmɔlts/ US
  • /ʃmɑlts/ US
  • /ʃmɑlts/ cot caught merger

Rhymes with -ɒlts, -ɔːlts

Where it comes from

Borrowed from Yiddish שמאַלץ (shmalts) or German Schmalz. Doublet of smalt, smalto, and enamel.

noun schmalz · shmaltz · shmalz

  1. uncountable Rendered chicken or goose fat. Even now, as medical science has given a nod to the moderate consumption of saturated animal fats, and the culinary elite has fallen hard for the likes of lard, tallow and duck fat, poor schmaltz remains the babushka-clad cousin not invited to the table. This is a shame, because schmaltz is one the
  2. derogatory, figuratively, uncountable Excessively sentimental art or music. Are you moved because the disco soundscape of “Moon Crystal” reminds you of TV shows from long ago, or because those high, whining violins over funk guitar are eternally gorgeous? […] Schmaltz is schmaltz, and it can make life worth living.

Schmaltz²

Where it comes from

Borrowed from German Schmaltz.

proper noun Schmaltzes

  1. A surname from German.

Translations

Every language

noun excessively sentimental art

DeutschSchmalz

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Cite this
MLA

"schmaltz." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/schmaltz. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

schmaltz. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/schmaltz

Chicago

"schmaltz." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/schmaltz.

BibTeX
@misc{schmaltz_2026,
  title = {schmaltz},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/schmaltz},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}