If you describe a person or animal as pathetic, you mean that they are sad and weak or helpless, and they make you feel very sorry for them.
...a pathetic little dog with a curly tail.
The small group of onlookers presented a pathetic sight.
She now looked small, shrunken and pathetic.
pathetically (pəθetɪkli)adverb
She was pathetically thin.
2. adjective
If you describe someone or something as pathetic, you mean that they make you feel impatient or angry, often because they are weak or not very good.
[disapproval]
What pathetic excuses.
'This area is pathetic,' he says. 'It has so few hotels.'
...the pathetic attempts at public speaking made by members of all parties.
Don't be so pathetic.
patheticallyadverb [ADVERB adjective]
Five women in a group of 18 people is a pathetically small number.
More Synonyms of pathetic
pathetic in British English
(pəˈθɛtɪk)
adjective
1.
evoking or expressing pity, sympathy, etc
2.
distressingly inadequate
the old man sat huddled in front of a pathetic fire
3. British informal
ludicrously or contemptibly uninteresting or worthless
the standard of goalkeeping in amateur football today is pathetic
4. obsolete
of or affecting the feelings
plural noun
5.
pathetic sentiments
Also (archaic or obsolete): pathetical
Derived forms
pathetically (paˈthetically)
adverb
Word origin
C16: from French pathétique, via Late Latin from Greek pathētikos sensitive, from pathos suffering; see pathos
pathetic in American English
(pəˈθɛtɪk)
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
see also pathetic fallacy
Also paˈthetical
SIMILAR WORDS: ˈmoving
Derived forms
pathetically (paˈthetically)
adverb
Word origin
LL patheticus < Gr pathētikos, akin to pathos, suffering, pathos
Synonyms of 'pathetic'
sad, moving, touching, affecting
inadequate, useless, feeble, poor
More Synonyms of pathetic
In other languages
pathetic
British English: pathetic /pəˈθɛtɪk/ ADJECTIVE
touching If you describe a person or animal as pathetic, you mean that they are sad and weak or helpless, and they make you feel very sorry for them.
...a pathetic little three-legged dog.
American English: pathetic
Arabic: مُثِيرٌ لِلْعُطُوف
Brazilian Portuguese: patético
Chinese: 可怜的
Croatian: patetičan
Czech: žalostný
Danish: ynkelig
Dutch: zielig
European Spanish: patético
Finnish: säälittävä
French: lamentable
German: mitleiderregend
Greek: αξιολύπητος
Italian: patetico
Japanese: 哀れな
Korean: 측은한
Norwegian: patetisk
Polish: patetyczny
European Portuguese: patético
Romanian: patetic
Russian: жалкий
Latin American Spanish: patético
Swedish: patetisk
Thai: น่าสงสาร
Turkish: acınası
Ukrainian: жалісний
Vietnamese: thảm bại
British English: pathetic ADJECTIVE
annoying If you describe someone or something as pathetic, you mean that they make you feel impatient or angry, often because they are weak or not very good.
What pathetic excuses.
American English: pathetic
Brazilian Portuguese: patético
Chinese: 可怜的
European Spanish: patético
French: pitoyable
German: erbärmlich
Italian: patetico
Japanese: 哀れな
Korean: 불쌍한
European Portuguese: patético
Latin American Spanish: patético
Chinese translation of 'pathetic'
pathetic
(pəˈθɛtɪk)
adj
(= pitiful)
[person, animal]可怜(憐)的 (kělián de)
[sight, cries]哀怜(憐)的 (āilián de)
(= very poor)[excuse, effort, attempt]不足道的 (bùzúdào de)
1 (adjective)
Definition
arousing pity or sympathy
It was a pathetic sight, watching the people queue for food.
Synonyms
sad
the sad news of the destruction of a historic building
moving
It was a moving moment for them.
touching
the touching tale of the relationship between a woman and her grandson
affecting
one of the most affecting pieces of the film
distressing
the distressing symptoms of anxiety
tender
a tragic, tender love story
melting
poignant
a poignant reminder of her sister's death
harrowing
a harrowing description of the disaster
heartbreaking
one of the most heartbreaking letters I have ever received
plaintive
Her voice was small and plaintive.
heart-rending
heart-rending accounts of the disaster
gut-wrenching
pitiable
Her grandmother seemed to her a pitiable figure.
Opposites
funny
,
entertaining
,
amusing
,
ridiculous
,
ludicrous
,
laughable
,
comical
,
droll
2 (adjective)
Definition
distressingly inadequate
That's the most pathetic excuse I've ever heard.
Synonyms
inadequate
useless
feeble
He said the Government had been feeble.
poor
The meal was very poor.
He was a poor actor.
sorry
She is in a sorry state.
wet (British, informal)
pants (informal)
miserable
They have so far accepted only a miserable 1,100 refugees.
petty
worthless
This piece of old junk is totally worthless.
meagre
a meagre 3% pay rise
pitiful
It was the most pitiful sight I had ever seen.
woeful
the team's recent woeful performance
deplorable
lamentable
He admitted he was partly to blame for England's lamentable performance.
trashy
I was watching some trashy TV show.
measly (informal)
The average bathroom measures a measly 3.5 metres.
crummy (slang)
This is a lot better than some of the crummy places I've stayed in.
crappy (slang)
rubbishy
poxy (slang)
wanky (taboo, slang)
chickenshit (US, slang)
Additional synonyms
in the sense of affecting
Definition
arousing feelings of pity
one of the most affecting pieces of the film
Synonyms
emotionally moving,
touching,
sad,
pathetic,
poignant,
saddening,
pitiful,
pitiable,
piteous
in the sense of crummy
Definition
of very bad quality
This is a lot better than some of the crummy places I've stayed in.
Synonyms
second-rate,
cheap,
inferior,
substandard,
poor,
pants (informal),
miserable,
rotten (informal),
duff (British, informal),
lousy (slang),
shoddy,
trashy,
low-rent (informal),
for the birds (informal),
third-rate,
contemptible,
shitty (taboo, slang),
two-bit (slang),
crappy (slang),
rubbishy,
poxy (slang),
dime-a-dozen (informal),
piss-poor (slang),
chickenshit (US, slang),
bodger or bodgie (Australian, slang),
bush-league (Australian, New Zealand, informal),
tinhorn (US, slang),
of a sort or of sorts,
strictly for the birds (informal)
in the sense of distressing
the distressing symptoms of anxiety
Synonyms
upsetting,
worrying,
disturbing,
painful,
affecting,
sad,
afflicting,
harrowing,
grievous,
hurtful,
lamentable,
heart-breaking,
nerve-racking,
gut-wrenching,
distressful (literary)
Synonyms of 'pathetic'
pathetic
Explore 'pathetic' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of feeble
Definition
not effective or convincing
He said the Government had been feeble.
Synonyms
inadequate,
weak,
pathetic,
insufficient,
incompetent,
ineffective,
inefficient,
lame,
insignificant,
ineffectual,
indecisive
in the sense of harrowing
Definition
very upsetting or disturbing
a harrowing description of the disaster
Synonyms
distressing,
disturbing,
alarming,
frightening,
painful,
terrifying,
chilling,
traumatic,
tormenting,
heartbreaking,
excruciating,
agonizing,
nerve-racking,
heart-rending,
gut-wrenching
in the sense of heart-rending
Definition
causing great sadness and pity
heart-rending accounts of the disaster
Synonyms
moving,
sad,
distressing,
affecting,
tragic,
pathetic,
poignant,
harrowing,
heartbreaking,
pitiful,
gut-wrenching,
piteous
in the sense of heartbreaking
one of the most heartbreaking letters I have ever received
Synonyms
sad,
distressing,
tragic,
bitter,
poignant,
harrowing,
desolating,
grievous,
pitiful,
agonizing,
heart-rending,
gut-wrenching
in the sense of lamentable
Definition
very unfortunate or disappointing
He admitted he was partly to blame for England's lamentable performance.
Synonyms
disappointing,
poor,
miserable,
unsatisfactory,
mean,
low quality,
meagre,
pitiful,
wretched,
not much cop (British, slang)
in the sense of meagre
Definition
not enough in amount or extent
a meagre 3% pay rise
Synonyms
insubstantial,
little,
small,
poor,
spare,
slight,
inadequate,
pathetic,
slender,
scant,
sparse,
deficient,
paltry,
skimpy,
puny,
measly (informal),
scanty,
exiguous (formal),
scrimpy
in the sense of measly
Definition
too small in quantity or value
The average bathroom measures a measly 3.5 metres.
Synonyms
meagre,
miserable,
pathetic,
paltry,
mean,
poor,
petty,
beggarly,
pitiful,
skimpy,
puny,
stingy,
contemptible,
scanty,
miserly,
niggardly,
ungenerous,
mingy (British, informal),
snoep (South Africa, informal)
in the sense of miserable
Definition
mean or ungenerous
They have so far accepted only a miserable 1,100 refugees.
Synonyms
pathetic,
low,
sorry,
disgraceful,
mean,
shameful,
shabby,
abject,
despicable,
deplorable,
lamentable,
contemptible,
scurvy (old-fashioned),
pitiable,
detestable,
piteous
in the sense of moving
Definition
arousing or touching the emotions
It was a moving moment for them.
Synonyms
emotional,
touching,
affecting,
exciting,
inspiring,
stirring,
arousing,
poignant,
emotive,
impelling
in the sense of pitiable
Definition
arousing or deserving pity or contempt
Her grandmother seemed to her a pitiable figure.
Synonyms
pathetic,
distressing,
miserable,
poor,
sorry,
sad,
dismal,
harrowing,
grievous,
woeful,
deplorable,
mournful,
lamentable,
gut-wrenching,
wretched,
doleful,
piteous
Additional synonyms
in the sense of pitiful
Definition
arousing or deserving great pity or contempt
It was the most pitiful sight I had ever seen.
Synonyms
pathetic,
distressing,
miserable,
harrowing,
heartbreaking,
grievous,
sad,
woeful,
deplorable,
lamentable,
heart-rending,
gut-wrenching,
wretched,
pitiable,
piteous
in the sense of plaintive
Definition
sad and mournful
Her voice was small and plaintive.
Synonyms
sorrowful,
sad,
pathetic,
melancholy,
grievous,
pitiful,
woeful,
wistful,
mournful,
heart-rending,
rueful,
grief-stricken,
disconsolate,
doleful,
woebegone,
piteous
in the sense of poignant
Definition
sharply painful to the feelings
a poignant reminder of her sister's death
Synonyms
moving,
touching,
affecting,
upsetting,
sad,
bitter,
intense,
painful,
distressing,
pathetic,
harrowing,
heartbreaking,
agonizing,
heart-rending,
gut-wrenching
in the sense of poor
Definition
disappointing or disagreeable
The meal was very poor.He was a poor actor.
Synonyms
inferior,
unsatisfactory,
mediocre,
second-rate,
sorry,
weak,
pants (informal),
rotten (informal),
faulty,
feeble,
worthless,
shabby,
shoddy,
low-grade,
below par,
substandard,
low-rent (informal),
for the birds (informal, old-fashioned),
crappy (slang),
valueless,
no great shakes (informal, old-fashioned),
rubbishy,
poxy (slang),
piss-poor (slang),
chickenshit (US, slang),
not much cop (British, slang),
half-pie (New Zealand, informal),
strictly for the birds (informal, old-fashioned),
bodger or bodgie (Australian, slang)
in the sense of sorry
Definition
poor
She is in a sorry state.
Synonyms
wretched,
miserable,
pathetic,
mean,
base,
poor,
sad,
distressing,
dismal,
shabby,
vile,
paltry,
pitiful,
abject,
deplorable,
pitiable,
piteous
in the sense of tender
a tragic, tender love story
Synonyms
romantic,
moving,
touching,
emotional,
sentimental,
poignant,
evocative,
soppy (British, informal)
in the sense of touching
Definition
arousing tender feelings
the touching tale of the relationship between a woman and her grandson