pathetic
/pə'θetik/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Arousing pity, sympathy, or sadness: Describes something that evokes feelings of sorrow, compassion, or tenderness due to its unfortunate or distressing nature.
- Miserably inadequate; contemptibly feeble: Describes something so weak, unsuccessful, or inferior that it inspires scorn or disdain rather than sympathy.
Examples of Usage
- Arousing pity:
- The lost puppy gave a pathetic whimper.
- Her pathetic attempt to smile through her tears was heartbreaking.
- Miserably inadequate:
- He made a pathetic excuse for being late.
- The team's performance was utterly pathetic.
Advanced Usage
- Pathetic fallacy: A literary term where human emotions are attributed to aspects of nature, such as the weather or environment.
- The stormy seas in the novel are a classic example of pathetic fallacy, mirroring the character's inner turmoil.
Variants and Related Words
- Pathetically (adverb): In a manner that arouses pity or is miserably inadequate.
- He pathetically tried to blame others for his own mistake.
- Patheticness (noun, informal): The state or quality of being pathetic.
Synonyms
- Pitiful: Deserving or arousing pity.
- Piteous: Deserving or arousing pity (often with a poetic or formal tone).
- Lamentable: Deplorably bad or unsatisfactory; regrettable.
- Wretched: In a very unhappy or unfortunate state; of poor quality.
Antonyms
- Admirable: Deserving respect and approval.
- Commendable: Deserving praise.
- Impressive: Evoking admiration through size, quality, or skill.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- Pathetic excuse: A very weak or unconvincing reason given to justify a fault or action.
- Forgetting your homework again is a pathetic excuse.
- Pathetic sight: Something that looks very sad or pitiful.
- The abandoned house was a pathetic sight.
Adjective
- inspiring scornful pity
- how silly an ardent and unsuccessful wooer can be especially if he is getting on in years- Dashiell Hammett
- inspiring mixed contempt and pity
- their efforts were pathetic
- pitiable lack of character
- pitiful exhibition of cowardice
- 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