1
as in pitiful
deserving of one's pity
the plight of the homeless family was quite pathetic
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sad
causing unhappiness
a pathetic story that made her cry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in miserable
deserving pitying scorn (as for inadequacy)
the crowd mercilessly booed the boxer's pathetic performance
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in ridiculous
so foolish or pointless as to be worthy of scornful laughter
the pundit's latest book is another pathetic jumble of factual errors, half-baked political views, and baseless accusations
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pathetic
Andrews and his actors honor this paradox, seeking out the funny and the weird right alongside the painful and pathetic.
—
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2025
Michael Gandolfini pops up as a slimy Fisk mayoral staffer who wouldn’t look out of place in this magazine’s recent cover featuring the new young right, and his playing both pathetic and vaguely sympathetic is very fun to watch.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2025
One of the most pathetic symbols of the new manosphere is Mark Zuckerberg.
—Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 4 Mar. 2025
How to decide which of these pathetic characters will get his fading masculinity restored?
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 2 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pathetic
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2025
Michael Gandolfini pops up as a slimy Fisk mayoral staffer who wouldn’t look out of place in this magazine’s recent cover featuring the new young right, and his playing both pathetic and vaguely sympathetic is very fun to watch.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2025
One of the most pathetic symbols of the new manosphere is Mark Zuckerberg.
—Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 4 Mar. 2025
How to decide which of these pathetic characters will get his fading masculinity restored?
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 2 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pathetic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pathetic
Adjective
-
But the modern Democratic Party, rudderless and confused and reeling from a pitiful collective performance during Tuesday evening's presidential joint address to Congress, now confronts a fork in the road that's no joke.—
Newsweek,
Newsweek,
7 Mar. 2025
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In the director’s world, fathers are pitiful providers, mothers are blandly cheerful (while quietly suffering enormously), and the kids see far more than their parents do.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Yet, whatever the deal means for Paul, Weiss, its acquiescence to Trump marks a sad day for the legal profession—or what once was a profession, and is now just another business.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2025
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Kwong grew up hearing stories of every kind about Manzanar—scary, sad, funny and infuriating.—
Rachel Ng,
Smithsonian Magazine,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Before Minecraft, the turnout for major films at the box office has been middling to miserable.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
-
Daryl was born in 1952, four years after the club’s last championship and just in time for four decades of miserable baseball on the lakeshore.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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This hate against transgender people is so ridiculous.—
John Russell,
People.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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But just a few hours southeast of the city lived a 14-year-old named Flannery O’Connor, who thought the spectacle was ridiculous.—
Ellen Wexler,
Smithsonian Magazine,
25 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Some parents worry that Alexa's high tolerance for rudeness instills poor behavior in their kids, according to Quartz.—
Emily Forlini,
PC Magazine,
18 Apr. 2025
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Then someone pointed a finger at a surprising culprit: the soldiers’ poor health.—
Maxim Sytch,
Harvard Business Review,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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This Sunday’s finale marks the end of a bizarre, depressing, and sometimes extremely funny show about a family like none other.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
14 Apr. 2025
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That’s been really fascinating and depressing and dispiriting to see.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Glamour,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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As holidays go, however, Flag Day can feel a bit lame.—
Kevin Fisher-Paulson,
San Francisco Chronicle,
8 June 2021
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My 11-year-old loved watching the pups roll balls and play a giant floor piano, but for non-dog owners (guilty as charged), parts of the series—like dressing dogs in little hats and outfits for a Parisian fashion show—feel lame.—
Tim Neville,
Outside Online,
23 Nov. 2020
Adjective
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This whole exercise of proving the absence of antisemitism as a prerequisite to criticizing Israeli government policy is absurd.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Apr. 2025
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Still, the sexist double standards around pockets have continued to be present in absurd ways.—
Jacqui Palumbo,
CNN Money,
9 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pathetic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pathetic. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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