Pathetic
adjective
Causing feelings of sadness, sympathy, or sometimes lack of respect, especially because a person or an animal is suffering.
She looked so pathetic that I agreed to help her.
Often appears as...
- look pathetic
- feel pathetic
Usage tips
Disapproving
adjective
Very bad, poor, weak, etc.
That's the most pathetic excuse I've ever heard.
Often appears as...
- pathetic excuse
- pathetic attempt
Usage tips
Disapproving
adjective
Causing others to feel scornful or dismissive.
He made a pathetic attempt to pretend that everything was fine.
Often appears as...
- pathetic joke
- pathetic display
Usage tips
Disapproving
adjective
Causing feelings of sadness, sympathy, or sometimes lack of respect, especially because a person or an animal is suffering.
She looked so pathetic that I agreed to help her.
Often appears as...
- look pathetic
- feel pathetic
Usage tips
Disapproving
adjective
Very bad, poor, weak, etc.
That's the most pathetic excuse I've ever heard.
Often appears as...
- pathetic excuse
- pathetic attempt
Usage tips
Disapproving
adjective
Causing others to feel scornful or dismissive.
He made a pathetic attempt to pretend that everything was fine.
Often appears as...
- pathetic joke
- pathetic display
Usage tips
Disapproving
Definition 1 of 3
Pro Tip 1/3Empathy Trigger
Used when someone seems so helpless or unfortunate it makes you feel sorry for them.
The stray dog looked pathetic in the pouring rain.
Pro Tip 2/3Not Disrespect
'Pathetic' can show sympathy without necessarily disrespecting someone's effort or situation.
After the accident, his whimpers were quite pathetic.
Pro Tip 3/3Observational Use
Often used to describe appearance or expression that indicates suffering or sadness.
His pathetic figure slumped in defeat was unforgettable.
Pro Tip 1/3Empathy Trigger
Used when someone seems so helpless or unfortunate it makes you feel sorry for them.
The stray dog looked pathetic in the pouring rain.
Pro Tip 2/3Not Disrespect
'Pathetic' can show sympathy without necessarily disrespecting someone's effort or situation.
After the accident, his whimpers were quite pathetic.
Pro Tip 3/3Observational Use
Often used to describe appearance or expression that indicates suffering or sadness.
His pathetic figure slumped in defeat was unforgettable.
Pro Tip 1/3Empathy Trigger
Used when someone seems so helpless or unfortunate it makes you feel sorry for them.
The stray dog looked pathetic in the pouring rain.
Pro Tip 2/3Not Disrespect
'Pathetic' can show sympathy without necessarily disrespecting someone's effort or situation.
After the accident, his whimpers were quite pathetic.
Pro Tip 3/3Observational Use
Often used to describe appearance or expression that indicates suffering or sadness.
His pathetic figure slumped in defeat was unforgettable.
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Video examples
Let's end ageism PIPE...
and we can't challenge bias unless we're aware of it. Nobody's born ageist, but it starts at early childhood, around the same time attitudes towards race and gender start to form, because negative messages about late life bombard us from the media and popular culture at every turn. Right? Wrinkles are ugly. Old people are pathetic.
Video examples
Stewart Brand: Building...
and look what happened to it. Here's a beautiful project. They really knew it'd last forever, because they'd build it out of absolutely huge stones. And now it's a pathetic ruin and no one even knows what it was used for. That's what happens to buildings. They're vulnerable. Even the most durable and intactable buildings,
Video examples
Rodney Mullen: Pop an...
and how pathetic is that I'm still skateboarding, but there is -- there is this beauty in dropping it into a community of your own making, and seeing it dispersed, and seeing younger, more talented, just different talent, take it to levels you can never imagine, because that lives on. So thank you for your time.
Video examples
What's a snollygoster? A...
power they didn't want to call him King in case that gave him ideas or his successor ideas so they wanted to give him the humblest meager most pathetic title they could think of and that title was president president they didn't invent the title I mean it existed before but it just meant somebody who
Video examples
Political common ground...
and if you live in Iowa, some people are awesome and some people are pathetic. It's not a question of what degree you have or where you happen to live in the country. The distinction is just a crude simplification to arouse political power. But I would encourage people to watch a television news show
Video examples
Compelling Models for...
where you can see that the amount of wildlife being sold in this case sea horses is absolutely mind-boggling I'm hoping that my photos can help spark an informed nuanced and pathetic compassionate conversation about what's going on if we're going to solve environmental crisis we need to talk to
Video examples
Todd Humphreys: How to...
But we now stand on the verge of another revolution in geolocation accuracy. What if I told you that the two-meter positioning that our current cell phones and our TomToms give us is pathetic compared to what we could be getting? For some time now, it's been known that if you pay attention
Video examples
Robert Thurman:...
They're talking about love and compassion and wisdom and enlightenment, but they are acting selfish and pathetic. So, Buddha's teaching has lost its momentum. I know the next Buddha will come a few thousand years from now,
Video examples
Love, no matter what PIPE...
It is a pathetic little second-rate substitute for reality -- a pitiable flight from life. As such, it deserves no compassion, it deserves no treatment as minority martyrdom,
Video examples
A guitar and vocal...
real up-tempo happy one and then Ruiz I asked what i should play any thought this one song that I think is my most pathetic
Video examples
Let's end ageism PIPE...
and we can't challenge bias unless we're aware of it. Nobody's born ageist, but it starts at early childhood, around the same time attitudes towards race and gender start to form, because negative messages about late life bombard us from the media and popular culture at every turn. Right? Wrinkles are ugly. Old people are pathetic.
Video examples
Stewart Brand: Building...
and look what happened to it. Here's a beautiful project. They really knew it'd last forever, because they'd build it out of absolutely huge stones. And now it's a pathetic ruin and no one even knows what it was used for. That's what happens to buildings. They're vulnerable. Even the most durable and intactable buildings,
Video examples
Rodney Mullen: Pop an...
and how pathetic is that I'm still skateboarding, but there is -- there is this beauty in dropping it into a community of your own making, and seeing it dispersed, and seeing younger, more talented, just different talent, take it to levels you can never imagine, because that lives on. So thank you for your time.
Video examples
What's a snollygoster? A...
power they didn't want to call him King in case that gave him ideas or his successor ideas so they wanted to give him the humblest meager most pathetic title they could think of and that title was president president they didn't invent the title I mean it existed before but it just meant somebody who
Video examples
Political common ground...
and if you live in Iowa, some people are awesome and some people are pathetic. It's not a question of what degree you have or where you happen to live in the country. The distinction is just a crude simplification to arouse political power. But I would encourage people to watch a television news show
Video examples
Compelling Models for...
where you can see that the amount of wildlife being sold in this case sea horses is absolutely mind-boggling I'm hoping that my photos can help spark an informed nuanced and pathetic compassionate conversation about what's going on if we're going to solve environmental crisis we need to talk to
Video examples
Todd Humphreys: How to...
But we now stand on the verge of another revolution in geolocation accuracy. What if I told you that the two-meter positioning that our current cell phones and our TomToms give us is pathetic compared to what we could be getting? For some time now, it's been known that if you pay attention
Video examples
Robert Thurman:...
They're talking about love and compassion and wisdom and enlightenment, but they are acting selfish and pathetic. So, Buddha's teaching has lost its momentum. I know the next Buddha will come a few thousand years from now,
Video examples
Love, no matter what PIPE...
It is a pathetic little second-rate substitute for reality -- a pitiable flight from life. As such, it deserves no compassion, it deserves no treatment as minority martyrdom,
Video examples
A guitar and vocal...
real up-tempo happy one and then Ruiz I asked what i should play any thought this one song that I think is my most pathetic
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Bipasha Basu
Indian Actress
I am so pathetic with machines in real life, it's not a joke. I'd rather walk, or even run, than take the car out myself. I like to be driven around. Yes, I like fancy cars, and fancy bikes, too. It's my dream to learn how to ride one myself, but for now, I am content being driven around.
Quote examples
Emily Browning
Australian Actress
There have been a few times when I've read a script and it's really cool but the girl character's just kind of pathetic. It's not going to do me any favours just being 'the girl' in a cool movie.
Quote examples
Kevyn Aucoin
American Artist
Another thing that's pathetic is this rule that you have to look ugly to get respect as an actress. Jessica Lange had to make herself look really bad to prove that she had amazing talent.
Quote examples
Kenneth Branagh
Irish Actor
I have a pathetic urge at some stage in my life to be able to pull out my wallet and pull out a little card on which it would say, 'Kenneth Branagh, artistic director.
Quote examples
Judy Parfitt
English Actress
Having plastic surgery is pathetic. You don't look any younger; you look well for a bit until it starts going again, but it takes all the character out.
Quote examples
Dave Barry
American Journalist
To better understand why you need a personal computer, let's take a look at the pathetic mess you call your life.
Quote examples
Simon Le Bon
English Musician
It's pathetic to have regrets about fashion. Things to do with my life, yes, I have regrets there.
Quote examples
Mahima Chaudhry
My choice for life partner has been pathetic. So, I have told my mother to look into it.
Quote examples
Helen Keller
American Author
The most pathetic person in the world is someone who has sight, but has no vision.
Quote examples
H. L. Mencken
American Writer
Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance.
Quote examples
Bipasha Basu
Indian Actress
I am so pathetic with machines in real life, it's not a joke. I'd rather walk, or even run, than take the car out myself. I like to be driven around. Yes, I like fancy cars, and fancy bikes, too. It's my dream to learn how to ride one myself, but for now, I am content being driven around.
Quote examples
Emily Browning
Australian Actress
There have been a few times when I've read a script and it's really cool but the girl character's just kind of pathetic. It's not going to do me any favours just being 'the girl' in a cool movie.
Quote examples
Kevyn Aucoin
American Artist
Another thing that's pathetic is this rule that you have to look ugly to get respect as an actress. Jessica Lange had to make herself look really bad to prove that she had amazing talent.
Quote examples
Kenneth Branagh
Irish Actor
I have a pathetic urge at some stage in my life to be able to pull out my wallet and pull out a little card on which it would say, 'Kenneth Branagh, artistic director.
Quote examples
Judy Parfitt
English Actress
Having plastic surgery is pathetic. You don't look any younger; you look well for a bit until it starts going again, but it takes all the character out.
Quote examples
Dave Barry
American Journalist
To better understand why you need a personal computer, let's take a look at the pathetic mess you call your life.
Quote examples
Simon Le Bon
English Musician
It's pathetic to have regrets about fashion. Things to do with my life, yes, I have regrets there.
Quote examples
Mahima Chaudhry
My choice for life partner has been pathetic. So, I have told my mother to look into it.
Quote examples
Helen Keller
American Author
The most pathetic person in the world is someone who has sight, but has no vision.
Quote examples
H. L. Mencken
American Writer
Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance.
Example 1 of 10
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