pathetic
adjective
pa·thet·ic
pə-ˈthe-tik 
1
: having a capacity to move one to either compassionate or contemptuous pity
2
: marked by sorrow or melancholy : sad
3
: pitifully inferior or inadequate
the restaurant's pathetic service
Synonyms
Examples of pathetic in a Sentence
The spectacle seen in the theater of the news presented the American President as a failed suppliant instead of a conquering hero—an ailing and pathetic figure dismissed with the smile of pity and the gift of some sweet candies shaped as miniature sculptures of the President's two dogs.
—
Lewis H. Lapham, Harper's, March 1992
They were brave, and bravely she served them a pathetic meal of nothing but limitless bowls of little potatoes boiled in their jackets …
—M. F. K. Fisher, With Bold Knife and Fork, 1969
Her face looked pale and extinguished, as if dimmed by the rich red of her dress. She struck Archer, of a sudden, as a pathetic and even pitiful figure.
—Edith Wharton, The Age of Innocence, 1920
The blind, old dog was a pathetic sight.
The team was pretty bad last year, but this year they're downright pathetic.
The story he told was a pathetic attempt to cover up a lie.
His car is a pathetic piece of junk.
Lewis H. Lapham, Harper's, March 1992
They were brave, and bravely she served them a pathetic meal of nothing but limitless bowls of little potatoes boiled in their jackets …
—M. F. K. Fisher, With Bold Knife and Fork, 1969
Her face looked pale and extinguished, as if dimmed by the rich red of her dress. She struck Archer, of a sudden, as a pathetic and even pitiful figure.
—Edith Wharton, The Age of Innocence, 1920
The blind, old dog was a pathetic sight.
The team was pretty bad last year, but this year they're downright pathetic.
The story he told was a pathetic attempt to cover up a lie.
His car is a pathetic piece of junk.
Recent Examples on the Web
Lydia Tar’s lack of self-awareness only made the character funnier and more pathetic in her downfall.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 15 Nov. 2024
After a downright pathetic few weeks, the Russians regrouped—or at least got regrouped enough.
—Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024
The upcoming sequel to This Is Spinal Tap will be turning the pathetic knobs all the way to 11.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 1 Nov. 2024
The officer’s bluster is even more pathetic in the face of what all these guys have had to endure.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pathetic 
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Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 15 Nov. 2024
After a downright pathetic few weeks, the Russians regrouped—or at least got regrouped enough.
—Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024
The upcoming sequel to This Is Spinal Tap will be turning the pathetic knobs all the way to 11.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 1 Nov. 2024
The officer’s bluster is even more pathetic in the face of what all these guys have had to endure.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pathetic
Articles Related to pathetic
Dictionary Entries Near pathetic
Cite this Entry
“Pathetic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pathetic. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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