pathetic Definition
- 1arousing pity, especially through vulnerability or sadness
- 2miserably inadequate
Using pathetic: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "pathetic" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The sight of the starving children was pathetic.
Example
His attempt at singing was pathetic.
Example
The team's performance was pathetic.
Example
She made a pathetic attempt to apologize.
pathetic Synonyms and Antonyms
Antonyms for pathetic
Idioms Using pathetic
Example
His excuse for being late was a pathetic excuse about traffic.
Example
Her attempt to fix the leaky faucet was a pathetic attempt that only made things worse.
Example
The abandoned puppy was a pathetic sight, shivering in the cold rain.
Phrases with pathetic
the attribution of human emotions and actions to inanimate objects or natural phenomena, especially in art and literature
Example
The storm clouds were a pathetic fallacy for the protagonist's inner turmoil.
patheticism
an excessive display of emotion or sentimentality
Example
The movie was criticized for its patheticism, with many viewers finding it overly sentimental.
patheticism
a tendency to arouse pity or sympathy
Example
The author's use of patheticism in her writing made her characters more relatable and sympathetic.
Origins of pathetic
from Greek 'pathētikos', meaning 'capable of feeling'
Summary: pathetic in Brief
The term 'pathetic' [pəˈθɛtɪk] refers to something that arouses pity, often due to vulnerability or sadness. It can also mean miserably inadequate, as in 'His attempt at singing was pathetic.' 'Pathetic' extends into phrases like 'pathetic fallacy,' and idioms like 'a pathetic excuse,' denoting a weak reason or explanation. Its antonyms include 'impressive' and 'commendable.'
