Synonyms for pathetic
pəˈθɛt ɪkpa·thet·ic

WiktionaryRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. patheticadjective

   Arousing pity, sympathy, or compassion.

   The old man’s pathetic pleas for forgiveness stirred the young man’s heart.

   Synonyms:
   wretched, pitiful, miserable

2. patheticadjective

   Arousing scornful pity or contempt, often due to miserable inadequacy.

   Synonyms:
   disgraceful, dishonorable, despicable, shameful

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. pathetic

   Pitiful originally signified full of pity; as, "the Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy," James v, 11; but this usage is now archaic, and the meaning in question is appropriated by such words as merciful and compassionate. Pitiful and pitiable now refer to what may be deserving of pity, pitiful being used chiefly for that which is merely an object of thought, pitiable for that which is brought directly before the senses; as, a pitiful story; a pitiable object; a pitiable condition. Since pity, however, always implies weakness or inferiority in that which is pitied, pitiful and pitiable are often used, by an easy transition, for what might awaken pity, but does awaken contempt; as, a pitiful excuse; he presented a pitiable appearance. Piteous is now rarely used in its earlier sense of feeling pity, but in its derived sense applies to what really excites the emotion; as, a piteous cry. Compare HUMANE; MERCY; PITY.

   Synonyms:
   abject, base, contemptible, despicable, lamentable, miserable, mournful, moving, paltry, piteous, pitiable, pitiful, sorrowful, touching, woful, wretched

   Antonyms:
   august, beneficent, commanding, dignified, exalted, glorious, grand, great, helpful, lofty, mighty, noble, sublime, superb, superior

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:3.3 / 3 votes

1. pathetic

   Synonyms:
   affecting, moving, emotional, tender, melting, tender

   Antonyms:
   ludicrous, unimpassioned, farcical, unaffecting

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:3.0 / 2 votes

1. hapless, miserable, misfortunate, pathetic, piteous, pitiable, pitiful, poor, wretchedadjective

   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"

   Synonyms:
   ridiculous, paltry, deplorable, scummy, woeful, slimy, execrable, suffering, scurvy, vile, low-down, despicable, inadequate, low, miserable, worthless, sad, piteous, hapless, lamentable, misfortunate, pitiable, distressing, measly, poor, short, wretched, silly, sorry, pitiful, abject, unworthy, ugly

   Antonyms:
   dignified, fortunate, estimable

2. pathetic, pitiable, pitifuladjective

   inspiring mixed contempt and pity

   "their efforts were pathetic"; "pitiable lack of character"; "pitiful exhibition of cowardice"

   Synonyms:
   distressing, poor, lamentable, deplorable, sorry, misfortunate, silly, pitiable, ridiculous, sad, miserable, piteous, pitiful, wretched, hapless

   Antonyms:
   fortunate, dignified, estimable

3. pathetic, ridiculous, sillyadjective

   inspiring scornful pity

   "how silly an ardent and unsuccessful wooer can be especially if he is getting on in years"- Dashiell Hammett

   Synonyms:
   slaphappy, light-headed, nonsensical, hapless, ludicrous, giddy, poor, farcical, featherbrained, sappy, miserable, lightheaded, absurd, dizzy, laughable, airheaded, ridiculous, wacky, piteous, punch-drunk, cockeyed, misfortunate, pitiable, derisory, zany, silly, preposterous, goofy, wretched, empty-headed, pitiful, cockamamy, cockamamie, idiotic, whacky

   Antonyms:
   dignified, fortunate, estimable

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. patheticadjective

   Synonyms:
   affecting, touching, moving, melting, tender, plaintive

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. patheticadjective

   Synonyms:
   plaintive, pitiable, piteous, mournful, sad

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:4.0 / 1 vote

1. List of paraphrases for "pathetic":

   pitiful, pitiable, lame, miserable, ridiculous, derisory, regrettable, wretched, half-assed, lamentable, deplorable, lousy

How to pronounce pathetic?

How to say pathetic in sign language?

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use pathetic in a sentence?

1. Berlin Zoo on Tuesday:

   Deaf, blind and disoriented, Tosca was found stumbling around in her cage on Monday, she lost her sense of smell. It was a pathetic sight. Veterinarians, animal protection officials and zoo officials came to a joint decision to put the elderly Tosca out of her misery.

2. Randy Economy:

   Gavin Newsom is resorting to political desperation. He now, finally, has accepted the fact that there will be a recall election being held this year to decide the direction of California and his political fate, for him to continue to label the people’s campaign as extremist is sad, pathetic and just goes to show how out of touch he really is.

3. Dick Durbin:

   President Trumps recorded conversation with Georgia Secretary of State Raffensperger is more than a pathetic, rambling, delusional rant, his disgraceful effort to intimidate an elected official into deliberately changing and misrepresenting the legally confirmed vote totals in his state strikes at the heart of our democracy and merits nothing less than a criminal investigation.

4. Michael Rapaport:

   You see all these videos on Instagram of people shoplifting like they’re going for a walk in the park. It’s pathetic that this is happening in the greatest city in the world.

5. Meg Schurr:

   Abortion is a human right, the political attacks on our fundamental right to abortion -- the right to bodily autonomy, the right to chart our own course in life, the right to protect our health and well-being -- are grossly unconstitutional, immoral, disgraceful and pathetic.