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
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
Kenney-Silver delivers a touchingly nuanced performance as Anne, balanced on the fine line between sad as in devastated and sad as in pathetic.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 1 May 2025
Marathon needs to be given every possible chance to succeed and making Bungie crunch to fix things and throwing it into the wolves as a fall release (one that’s literally on the same day as Borderlands 4, mind you) would be a pathetic excuse for support.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025
In another, Stan and a different friend try to move a heavy car engine onto the back of a truck, with comically pathetic results.
—Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2025
Nancy Pike Hause, Estes Park Rockies need to look outward for scouting help
Does Bill Schmidt, the Rockies GM, really believe that firing the previous hitting coach and bringing in Clint Hurdle will turn around the team’s pathetic start to the season?
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pathetic
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Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 1 May 2025
Marathon needs to be given every possible chance to succeed and making Bungie crunch to fix things and throwing it into the wolves as a fall release (one that’s literally on the same day as Borderlands 4, mind you) would be a pathetic excuse for support.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025
In another, Stan and a different friend try to move a heavy car engine onto the back of a truck, with comically pathetic results.
—Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2025
Nancy Pike Hause, Estes Park Rockies need to look outward for scouting help
Does Bill Schmidt, the Rockies GM, really believe that firing the previous hitting coach and bringing in Clint Hurdle will turn around the team’s pathetic start to the season?
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pathetic
Cite this Entry
“Pathetic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pathetic. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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