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
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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
Just an old, insufferable, pathetic, sad loser.
—
Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 8 May 2026
The man who has been on fire since the Knicks first tipped off against the Atlanta Hawks shot a ghastly — nay, a pathetic — 53 percent from the field.
—Tony Jones, New York Times, 7 May 2026
But as Notes from Underground progresses, his behavior turns from funny to pathetic to downright despicable.
—Big Think, 29 Apr. 2026
Over pinwheeling synths, Mahesh inhabits her narrator’s misplaced longing with gooey, heart-eyed delusion and sweetly pathetic determination.
—Harry Tafoya, Pitchfork, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pathetic
Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 8 May 2026
The man who has been on fire since the Knicks first tipped off against the Atlanta Hawks shot a ghastly — nay, a pathetic — 53 percent from the field.
—Tony Jones, New York Times, 7 May 2026
But as Notes from Underground progresses, his behavior turns from funny to pathetic to downright despicable.
—Big Think, 29 Apr. 2026
Over pinwheeling synths, Mahesh inhabits her narrator’s misplaced longing with gooey, heart-eyed delusion and sweetly pathetic determination.
—Harry Tafoya, Pitchfork, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pathetic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pathetic
Adjective
-
Trump has made a pitiful shambles of what should have been a glorious moment.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
31 May 2026
-
With his country flailing in their pitiful attempts to qualify for the 2006 World Cup, at the age of 33, Zidane underwent his change of heart.—
Amy Lawrence,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
The other six ascended to the highest office in the land as a result of the dysfunction that has made Peru a punch line in political-science circles, a sad story of ungovernability played on a loop.—
Daniel Alarcón,
New Yorker,
4 June 2026
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There’s a one-note quality to the film’s comedy that grows steadily, even deliberately, more abrasive over two hours, but the sad, brash, gradually shrinking bigness of the personalities at its center holds your attention.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
The sea was rough, windy, and miserable.—
Robert McGreevy,
FOXNews.com,
6 June 2026
-
The Angels thumped the Colorado Rockies 11-4, but one good night cannot change the trajectory of a miserable season.—
Bill Shaikin,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
Thanks in large part to their four ridiculous last-minute comebacks — one in each playoff round — the Pacers will go down in history as one of the most exciting teams that didn’t win the title.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
7 June 2026
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At its core, most superhero films, for me, are somewhat ridiculous.—
Matt Minton,
Variety,
6 June 2026
Adjective
-
Common travel regrets stem from preventable issues like poor planning, budget problems, and choosing the wrong companions.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
-
O’Farrell’s inclination for narratives propelled by brutal coincidence and fatally poor timing tenders a Hardy-esque vision of the world, one that emphasizes the rigid, often cruel limits of an individual’s jurisdiction over the course of their life.—
Rachel Vorona Cote,
Vulture,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
Almost a year out to sea is very depressing.—
Steve Walsh,
NPR,
23 May 2026
-
Some sendoffs are mundane; others are downright depressing.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
Adjective
-
As lame as the fact that an Erewhon smoothie costs $19 is that so many of us need to be paid to be nice to each other.—
Swan Huntley,
Los Angeles Times,
25 May 2026
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Santana tried to jump off the steps to clothesline Maclin but came up a bit lame.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
22 May 2026
Adjective
-
There is always the possibility that something absurd might occur — the equivalent of Neymar’s 2017 move to Paris Saint-Germain, for instance — but that’s extremely unlikely.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
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Ironically, the fears of two Republicans advancing were driven by Democratic data vendor Paul Mitchell, who built a prediction machine using absurd inputs like betting odds and polls that cannot account for things like rape allegations.—
Matt Fleming,
Oc Register,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pathetic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pathetic. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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