Definitions for pathetic
pəˈθɛt ɪkpa·thet·ic

Princeton's WordNet(1.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. hapless, miserable, misfortunate, pathetic, piteous, pitiable, pitiful, poor, wretched(adj)

   deserving or inciting pity

   "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"

2. pathetic, pitiable, pitiful(adj)

   inspiring mixed contempt and pity

   "their efforts were pathetic"; "pitiable lack of character"; "pitiful exhibition of cowardice"

3. pathetic, ridiculous, silly(adj)

   inspiring scornful pity

   "how silly an ardent and unsuccessful wooer can be especially if he is getting on in years"- Dashiell Hammett

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. pathetic(Adjective)

   Arousing pity, sympathy, or compassion.

   The old man's pathetic pleas for forgiveness stirred the young man's heart.

   Etymology: From patheticus, from παθητικός, from παθητός, from παθείν.

2. pathetic(Adjective)

   Arousing scornful pity or contempt, often due to miserable inadequacy.

   Etymology: From patheticus, from παθητικός, from παθητός, from παθείν.

Webster Dictionary(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Pathetic(adj)

   expressing or showing anger; passionate

   Etymology: [L. patheticus, Gr. paqhtiko`s, fr. paqei^n, pa`schein, to suffer: cf. F. pathtique. See Pathos.]

2. Pathetic(adj)

   affecting or moving the tender emotions, esp. pity or grief; full of pathos; as, a pathetic song or story

   Etymology: [L. patheticus, Gr. paqhtiko`s, fr. paqei^n, pa`schein, to suffer: cf. F. pathtique. See Pathos.]

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Pathetic

   -al, pa-thet′ik, -al, adj. showing passion: affecting the tender emotions: causing pity, grief, or sorrow: touching: (anat.) trochlear.—adj. Pathemat′ic, pertaining to emotion.—adv. Pathet′ically.—ns. Pathet′icalness; Path′etism, animal magnetism; Path′etist, one who practises this.—The pathetic, the style or manner fitted to excite emotion. [Gr. pathētikos, subject to suffering.]

How to pronounce pathetic?

1. 

   Alex

   US English

   

   Daniel

   British

   

   Karen

   Australian

   

   Veena

   Indian

How to say pathetic in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of pathetic in Chaldean Numerology is: 4

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of pathetic in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1

Examples of pathetic in a Sentence

1. Meghan McCain:

   Meghan McCain was Meghan McCain kryptonite in life, Meghan McCain was Meghan McCain kryptonite in death. On a personal level, I agree with you, all of us have love and families, and when Meghan McCain was alive, up until adulthood, we would spend our time together cooking, hiking, fishing, really celebrating life, and I think it's because Meghan McCain almost died, and I just thought,' your life is spent on the weekend not with your family, not with your friends, but you're obsessing, obsessing over great men you could never live up to.' That tells you everything you need to know about his pathetic life right now.

2. Antonio Masa Caada:

   The [thieves] won’t turn up at court. It’s pathetic.

3. Chris Hurley:

   Literally seconds after he hits the ground, it’s pathetic.

4. Tim Winter:

   TLC once stood for The Learning Channel…and now it stands for Totally Ludacris Content, it’s pathetic and it’s desperate. It’s a strategic blunder. You have to have a brand for your programing and a program like ‘Sex in Public’ is going to help nobody. It may be clever in terms of ‘oh they’re going to a food court to talk to about their sexual appetite’ but at the end of the day this is explicit content, it’s on a network that has built a brand on other types of content. I just don’t think it’s going to fit.

5. Sarah Sanders on Wednesday:

   This is a desperate and pathetic attempt by Key Senate Democrats to obstruct a very highly-qualified nominee. The hearing date is set for September 4.

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