pathetic
Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Idioms, Wikipedia.
pa·thet·ic
(pə-thĕt′ĭk) also pa·thet·i·cal (-ĭ-kəl)adj.
1. Arousing or deserving of sympathetic sadness and compassion: "The old, rather shabby room struck her as extraordinarily pathetic" (John Galsworthy).
2. Arousing or deserving of scornful pity.
[French pathétique, from Late Latin pathēticus, from Greek pathētikos, sensitive, from pathētos, liable to suffer, from pathos, suffering; see kwent(h)- in Indo-European roots.]
pa·thet′i·cal·ly adv.
Synonyms: pathetic, pitiful, pitiable, piteous, lamentable
These adjectives describe what inspires or deserves pity. Something pathetic elicits sympathetic sadness and compassion: "a most earnest ... entreaty, addressed to you in the most pathetic tones of the voice so dear to you" (Charles Dickens).
Both pitiful and pitiable apply to what is touchingly sad: "She told a most pitiful story" (Samuel Butler)."The emperor had been in a state of pitiable vacillation" (William Hickling Prescott).
Sometimes these three terms connote contemptuous pity, as for what is hopelessly inept or inadequate: a school with pathetic academic standards."To be guided by second-hand conjecture is pitiful" (Jane Austen)."That cold accretion called the world, which, so terrible in the mass, is so unformidable, even pitiable, in its units" (Thomas Hardy).
Piteous applies to what cries out for pity: "They ... made piteous lamentation to us to save them" (Daniel Defoe).
Lamentable suggests the evocation of pity mixed with sorrow: "Tell thou the lamentable tale of me, / And send the hearers weeping to their beds" (Shakespeare).
These adjectives describe what inspires or deserves pity. Something pathetic elicits sympathetic sadness and compassion: "a most earnest ... entreaty, addressed to you in the most pathetic tones of the voice so dear to you" (Charles Dickens).
Both pitiful and pitiable apply to what is touchingly sad: "She told a most pitiful story" (Samuel Butler)."The emperor had been in a state of pitiable vacillation" (William Hickling Prescott).
Sometimes these three terms connote contemptuous pity, as for what is hopelessly inept or inadequate: a school with pathetic academic standards."To be guided by second-hand conjecture is pitiful" (Jane Austen)."That cold accretion called the world, which, so terrible in the mass, is so unformidable, even pitiable, in its units" (Thomas Hardy).
Piteous applies to what cries out for pity: "They ... made piteous lamentation to us to save them" (Daniel Defoe).
Lamentable suggests the evocation of pity mixed with sorrow: "Tell thou the lamentable tale of me, / And send the hearers weeping to their beds" (Shakespeare).
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
pathetic
(pəˈθɛtɪk)adj
1. evoking or expressing pity, sympathy, etc
2. distressingly inadequate: the old man sat huddled in front of a pathetic fire.
3. informal Brit ludicrously or contemptibly uninteresting or worthless: the standard of goalkeeping in amateur football today is pathetic.
4. obsolete of or affecting the feelings
pl n
pathetic sentiments. Also (archaic or obsolete): pathetical
[C16: from French pathétique, via Late Latin from Greek pathetikos sensitive, from pathos suffering; see pathos]
paˈthetically adv
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
pa•thet•ic
(pəˈθɛt ɪk)also pa•thet′i•cal,
adj.
1. causing or evoking pity, either sympathetically or contemptibly; pitiful: a pathetic sight; a pathetic return on our investment.
2. sad; sorrowful; mournful: a pathetic tone of voice.
[1590–1600; < Late Latin pathēticus < Greek pathētikós sensitive =pathēt(ós) made or liable to suffer, v. adj. of páschein to suffer + -ikos -ic]
pa•thet′i•cal•ly, adv.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Adj. | 1. |  pathetic - deserving or inciting pity; "a hapless victim"; "miserable victims of war"; "the shabby room struck her as extraordinarily pathetic"- Galsworthy; "piteous appeals for help"; "pitiable homeless children"; "a pitiful fate"; "Oh, you poor thing"; "his poor distorted limbs"; "a wretched life"unfortunate - not favored by fortune; marked or accompanied by or resulting in ill fortune; "an unfortunate turn of events"; "an unfortunate decision"; "unfortunate investments"; "an unfortunate night for all concerned" |
| 2. | pathetic - inspiring mixed contempt and pity; "their efforts were pathetic"; "pitiable lack of character"; "pitiful exhibition of cowardice" contemptible - deserving of contempt or scorn | |
| 3. | pathetic - inspiring scornful pity; "how silly an ardent and unsuccessful wooer can be especially if he is getting on in years"- Dashiell Hammett undignified - lacking dignity |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
pathetic
adjective
1. sad, moving, touching, affecting, distressing, tender, melting, poignant, harrowing, heartbreaking, plaintive, heart-rending, gut-wrenching, pitiable It was a pathetic sight, watching the people queue for food.
sad funny, entertaining, amusing, ridiculous, ludicrous, laughable, comical, droll
sad funny, entertaining, amusing, ridiculous, ludicrous, laughable, comical, droll
2. inadequate, useless, feeble, poor, sorry, wet (Brit. informal), pants (informal), miserable, petty, worthless, meagre, pitiful, woeful, deplorable, lamentable, trashy, measly, crummy (slang), crappy (slang), rubbishy, poxy (slang), wanky (taboo slang), chickenshit (U.S. slang) That's the most pathetic excuse I've ever heard.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
pathetic
adjectiveThe American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
ضَعيف وفاشِلمُثير للشَّفَقَهمُثِيرٌ لِلْعُطُوف
žalostnýdojemnýubohý
søllesørgeligynkelig
säälittävä
patetičan
gyenge
átakanlega, ömurlegurátakanlegur
哀れな
측은한
graudus
aizkustinošsnožēlojams, niecīgs
ganljiv
patetisk
น่าสงสาร
thảm bại
pathetic
[pəˈθetɪk]A. ADJ
B. CPD pathetic fallacy N (Literat) → engaño m sentimental, falacia f patética
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
pathetic
adj
(= piteous) → mitleiderregend; the exhausted refugees made a pathetic sight → die erschöpften Flüchtlinge boten ein Bild des Jammers; it was pathetic to see → es war ein Bild des Jammers
(= poor) → erbärmlich, jämmerlich; it’s pathetic → es ist zum Weinen or Heulen (inf); what a pathetic bunch they are! → oh, was ist das für ein jämmerlicher Haufen!; honestly you’re pathetic, can’t you even boil an egg? → ehrlich, dich kann man zu nichts brauchen, kannst du nicht einmal ein Ei kochen?
the pathetic fallacy → die Vermenschlichung der Natur
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
pathetic
(pəˈθetik) adjective1. causing pity. The lost dog was a pathetic sight.
2. weak and useless. a pathetic attempt.
paˈthetically adverbKernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
pathetic
→ مُثِيرٌ لِلْعُطُوف žalostný ynkelig mitleiderregend αξιολύπητος patético säälittävä lamentable patetičan patetico 哀れな 측은한 zielig patetisk patetyczny patético жалкий patetisk น่าสงสาร acınası thảm bại 可怜的Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
pa·thet·ic
a. patético-a.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012