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Pathetic: meaning, definitions and examples

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pathetic

[ pəˈθɛtɪk ]

Adjective

^{Context #1 | Adjective}

feeling or expressing contempt or a low opinion of oneself

arousing pity, especially through vulnerability or sadness; marked by sorrow or melancholy; causing or evoking pity, sympathetic sadness, sorrow, or melancholy; deserving or inciting pity; expressing or arousing pity, sympathy, or sorrow; pitifully inadequate or ineffective

Synonyms

miserable, pitiful, sad, sorry, woeful

Examples of usage

He looked so pathetic standing there in the rain.
Her pathetic expression tugged at my heartstrings.
The movie depicted the protagonist's pathetic struggle for survival.
His attempts to win her back were just pathetic.
The homeless dog had a pathetic look in its eyes.

^{Context #2 | Adjective}

extremely inadequate or unsatisfactory

lamentably inadequate; distressing or shocking in its inadequacy; very poor in quality or ability; causing or deserving scorn or ridicule because of its inadequacy

Synonyms

inadequate, inferior, poor, substandard, unsatisfactory

Examples of usage

The service at the restaurant was pathetic.
His performance was so pathetic that the audience booed him off the stage.
The company's attempts to cover up the scandal were pathetic at best.
The government's response to the crisis was pathetic.

Translations

Translations of the word "pathetic" in other languages:

🇵🇹 patético

🇮🇳 दयनीय

🇩🇪 erbärmlich

🇮🇩 patetis

🇺🇦 жалюгідний

🇵🇱 żałosny

🇯🇵 哀れな (aware na)

🇫🇷 pathétique

🇪🇸 patético

🇹🇷 acınası

🇰🇷 한심한 (hansimhan)

🇸🇦 بائس

🇨🇿 ubohý

🇸🇰 úbohý

🇨🇳 可悲的 (kěbēi de)

🇸🇮 patetičen

🇮🇸 aumingjalegur

🇰🇿 мүсіркеу

🇬🇪 საწყალი

🇦🇿 acınacaqlı

🇲🇽 patético

Word origin

The word 'pathetic' originated in the late 16th century from the French word 'pathétique', which in turn came from the Latin 'patheticus' meaning 'capable of evoking emotion'. Over time, the word evolved to represent feelings of sorrow, pity, and inadequacy. It has been used in English literature and everyday language to describe situations, people, or things that elicit sympathy, sadness, or contempt.