pathetic
1. deserving or inciting pity (Freq. 1)
- 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
• Syn:
hapless, miserable, misfortunate, piteous, pitiable,
pitiful, poor, wretched
• Similar to:
unfortunate
• Derivationally related forms:
wretchedness (for: wretched), pity (for: piteous), pathos, miserableness (for: miserable)
2. inspiring mixed contempt and pity (Freq. 1)
- their efforts were pathetic
- pitiable lack of character
- pitiful exhibition of cowardice
• Syn:
pitiable, pitiful
• Similar to:
contemptible
3. inspiring scornful pity
- "how silly an ardent and unsuccessful wooer can be especially if he is getting on in years"- Dashiell Hammett
• Syn:
ridiculous, silly
• Similar to:
undignified
• Derivationally related forms:
silliness (for: silly), ridicule (for: ridiculous)
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