Pathetic
/pəˈθetɪk/
Definitions
Arousing pity, sadness, or contempt; miserably inadequate.
/pəˈθetɪk/
Arousing pity or contempt.
Her pathetic attempt to sing made everyone cringe.
💡 Simply: When something is pathetic, it's so bad or sad that it makes you feel sorry for it, or even a little annoyed. Imagine you try to bake a cake, and it comes out burnt and flat. That's a pathetic cake!
👶 For kids: When something is pathetic, it means it's very sad or not good at all, like when a dog feels super sad.
More Examples
The movie's special effects were so pathetic that they looked like they were made in the 1980s.
The comedian's jokes were so pathetic that the audience started to boo.
How It's Used
"The team's performance was absolutely pathetic, they didn't score a single point."
"He made a pathetic attempt to apologize."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
Idioms & expressions
a pathetic fallacy
The attribution of human feelings and responses to inanimate things or animals.
"The 'pathetic fallacy' is used when describing the storm as 'angrily' lashing at the shore."
From Greek *pathētikos* 'capable of feeling,' related to *pathos* 'suffering, feeling.' Initially used to describe things arousing pity or sorrow.
The word's meaning has evolved from the sense of arousing emotion generally (pity, sorrow, etc.) to a more specifically negative connotation of inspiring pity or contempt through inadequacy.
Memory tip
Think of a *path* leading to a state of deep *pathos* (suffering).
Word Origin
"Capable of feeling; related to suffering"