pathetic Definition
pa·thetic (pə t̸het′ik)
adjective
- expressing, arousing, or intended to arouse pity, sorrow, sympathy, or compassion; pitiful
- pitifully unsuccessful, ineffective, etc. a pathetic performance
- of the emotions
Etymology: LL patheticus < Gr pathētikos, akin to pathos, suffering, pathos
pathetic Related Forms
pa·thet′i·cally adverb
pathetic Synonyms
pathetic
modif.
pathetic Usage Examples
Adjective complement with noun phrase
find: Do you find people principally pathetic or absurd, would you say?
Modifies a noun
- fallacy: I've always been a big fan of the pathetic fallacy, unlike Ruskin, who coined the term.
- excuse: She offers pathetic excuses for not staying in touch with her friend.
- attempt: Trust me Felix, the only thing I want to do is laugh at your pathetic attempts to defraud me.
- remnant: Those with living livestock hurried about tending the pathetic remnants of their herds with cloth over their noses to keep out the smell.
- creature: Even the police must have been affected by the plight of this pathetic little creature!
- joke: Your Comments I would appreciate it if you did not use my name in your pathetic jokes.
Modifying Another Word
- frankly: And finally the " they haven't visited argument " is frankly pathetic.
- utterly: And diving in World Cup games is utterly pathetic.
- rather: I haven't seen you looking pale yet - I should think you might look rather pathetic!
- pretty: He said: " I think their music is pretty pathetic.
- absolutely: I started to see the first Christmas things at the end of October which is absolutely pathetic.
- truly: This is truly pathetic, not to say hypocritical.
Infinitive complement
see: Lt Col Sharples said: " It was really pathetic to see them.
Used with adjective complement
- seem: He seemed so pathetic, an unconscious man tied to a radiator.
- look: In the visitors ' room she tells him he looks pathetic dressing younger than his age.
- sound: I hear what you are saying about feeling like you think you sound pathetic etc.. .
- feel: Feeling completely pathetic, I managed to inch my way out of the cave, taking a final ' hit ' on the way.
- get: Why You should stay away: His excuses for not showing up are getting more pathetic.
Preposition: in
comparison: My glass of mineral water looks a bit pathetic in comparison.
Browse dictionary entries near pathetic
- ‹ pathbreaking
- ‹ Pathan
- ‹ path terminating equipment
- ‹ path-switched ring
- ‹ Path Overhead
- ‹ path
- ‹ Paterson, Banjo (Andrew Barton)
- ‹ Paterson, Banjo
- ‹ Paterson
- ‹ paternoster
- pathetic fallacy ›
- pathfinder ›
- -pathia ›
- -pathic ›
- pathless ›
- patho- ›
- pathogen ›
- pathogenesis ›
- pathogenic ›
- pathognomonic ›

