pathetic
[ puh-thet-ik ]
/ pəˈθɛt ɪk /
adjective
causing or evoking pity, sympathetic sadness, sorrow, etc.; pitiful; pitiable: a pathetic letter; a pathetic sight.
affecting or moving the emotions.
pertaining to or caused by the emotions.
miserably or contemptibly inadequate: In return for our investment we get a pathetic three percent interest.
Often
pa·thet·i·cal.
Origin of pathetic
1590–1600; < Late Latin
pathēticus < Greek
pathētikós sensitive equivalent to
pathēt(ós) made or liable to suffer (verbid of
páschein to suffer +
-ikos
-ic
SYNONYMS FOR pathetic
OTHER WORDS FROM pathetic
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH pathetic
bathetic patheticWords nearby pathetic
Example sentences from the Web for pathetic
British Dictionary definitions for pathetic
pathetic
/ (pəˈθɛtɪk) /
adjective
evoking or expressing pity, sympathy, etc
distressingly inadequate
the old man sat huddled in front of a pathetic fire
British informal
ludicrously or contemptibly uninteresting or worthless
the standard of goalkeeping in amateur football today is pathetic
obsolete
of or affecting the feelings
pl n
pathetic sentiments
Derived forms of pathetic
pathetically, adverbWord Origin for pathetic
C16: from French
pathétique, via Late Latin from Greek
pathetikos sensitive, from
pathos suffering; see
pathos