pathetic

American  

[puh-thet-ik] / pəˈθɛt ɪk /

Rarely pathetical

adjective

1. causing or evoking pity, sympathetic sadness, sorrow, etc.; pitiful; pitiable.

   Conditions at the refugee camp were far more pathetic than anything our training had prepared us for.

   Synonyms:

   sad , tragic , piteous , plaintive

2. Informal.  miserably or contemptibly inadequate.

   In return for our investment we get a pathetic three percent interest. The carpenter we hired is pathetic.

3. Archaic.  pertaining to, caused by, or affecting the emotions.

   pathetic outbursts.

   Synonyms:

   emotional , tender , touching

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pathetic British  

/ pəˈθɛtɪk /

adjective

1. evoking or expressing pity, sympathy, etc

2. distressingly inadequate

   the old man sat huddled in front of a pathetic fire

3. informal  ludicrously or contemptibly uninteresting or worthless

   the standard of goalkeeping in amateur football today is pathetic

4. obsolete  of or affecting the feelings

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plural noun

1. pathetic sentiments

Other Word Forms

• hyperpathetic adjective
• hyperpathetically adverb
• pathetically adverb
• patheticalness noun
• quasi-pathetic adjective
• quasi-pathetically adverb
• unpathetic adjective
• unpathetically adverb

Etymology

Origin of pathetic

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Middle French pathétique or from Late Latin pathēticus, from Greek pathētikós “capable of emotion, impassioned, sensitive,” equivalent to pathēt(ós) “subject to suffering; one who has suffered; subject to external influence or change; (in medicine) diseased” (derivative of páschein “to suffer”) + -ikos adjective suffix; -ic

Example Sentences

"Somebody really needs to get told. I don't know who has passed that but it's pathetic for a million-pound tournament. It really is bad."

From BBC

It’s pathetic, dangerous, and shows a total lack of respect for boundaries, safety, and basic human decency.”

From Los Angeles Times

A former FBI agent, Kyle Seraphin, publicized the trip and called the taxpayer funded travel in the middle of a shutdown “pathetic.”

From The Wall Street Journal

One minister said "this is pathetic," while another called the briefings "crazy".

From BBC

Some high-profile Democrats have been highly critical of colleagues who sided with Republicans to end the shutdown without concrete guarantees on healthcare, with California Governor Gavin Newsom earlier calling the decision "pathetic".

From BBC

Related Words

• deplorable
• feeble
• heartbreaking
• miserable
• pitiful
• poignant
• sorry
• woeful