pathetic

Rarely pa·thet·i·cal

[puh-thet-ik]

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

pathetic

/ 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

plural noun

1. pathetic sentiments

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of pathetic¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of pathetic¹

C16: from French pathétique, via Late Latin from Greek pathetikos sensitive, from pathos suffering; see _pathos

Example Sentences

He also said: "I wanna kill so badly, watching pathetic maggots die arouses me."

From BBC

Their frontyard was pathetic; basically 1,500 square feet of weeds and parched patches of Bermuda lawn.

From Los Angeles Times

What Gold recalls about his client is “how sad and pathetic he was.”

From Los Angeles Times

"I've never met her. It makes me feel stupid; it makes me feel pathetic. I have had massive, massive trust issues."

From BBC

“We will be vigorously and righteously defending against this false, pathetic lawsuit.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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