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pathetic definition

pa·thetic (pə t̸het′ik)

adjective

  1. expressing, arousing, or intended to arouse pity, sorrow, sympathy, or compassion; pitiful
  2. pitifully unsuccessful, ineffective, etc. a pathetic performance
  3. of the emotions

Etymology: LL patheticus < Gr pathētikos, akin to pathos, suffering, pathos

Also pathetical pa·thet′i·cal

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

pathetic Synonyms

pathetic

modif.

  1. Affecting

    touching, affecting, moving; see moving 2, pitiful 1.

  2. Pitifully inadequate

    pitiful, feeble, sorry, wretched; see inadequate 1, sorry 2. See syn. study at moving.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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.

Modifying Another Word

  • frankly: And finally the " they haven't visited argument " is frankly pathetic.

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.

Preposition: in

  • comparison: My glass of mineral water looks a bit pathetic in comparison.
pathetic usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

pathetic quotes

It was too pathetic for the feelings of Sophia and myselföwe fainted alternately on the sofa.

-Austen,Jane

Love is a very papithatick thing as well as troublesom & tiresome but O Isabella forbid me to speak about it.

-Fleming, Marjory

The gash in its throat was shocking, but not pathetic.

-Hughes,Ted (Edward James)

pathetic quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"pathetic." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 3 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/pathetic>

APA Style

pathetic. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 3rd, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/pathetic

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