1. rendered chicken fat used in cooking
Usage: culinary; Jewish cuisine
2. excessive sentimentality, especially in art or music
Usage: informal

Examples

• She cooked the potatoes in schmaltz for extra flavor.
• The recipe called for two tablespoons of schmaltz.
• The movie was full of schmaltz and predictable plot twists.
• Critics dismissed the song as pure schmaltz.
• His speech was heavy on schmaltz but light on substance.
• The restaurant serves traditional dishes made with schmaltz.
• The novel avoided schmaltz in favor of honest emotion.