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
Astin sinks into his pathetic character with full commitment, but the running gag about Ron getting more upset about the possibility of being banned from the fast-food restaurant than anything else is hammered so relentlessly that the character just seems mentally challenged.
—
Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 14 Mar. 2026
Of course, the notes turn out to mostly be about her as well as the principal (played by Gosling), detailing their most pathetic behaviors.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 8 Mar. 2026
The pathetic leaks didn’t work.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 2 Mar. 2026
The jobs report was a complete failure, and his economic approval sits at a pathetic 39%.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pathetic
Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 14 Mar. 2026
Of course, the notes turn out to mostly be about her as well as the principal (played by Gosling), detailing their most pathetic behaviors.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 8 Mar. 2026
The pathetic leaks didn’t work.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 2 Mar. 2026
The jobs report was a complete failure, and his economic approval sits at a pathetic 39%.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pathetic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pathetic
Adjective
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Most of the time, experts say, vaguebooking boils down to a pitiful plea for attention on the part of the poster.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
9 Apr. 2026
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Given that California ranks a pitiful 49th in the nation in the condition, safety and costs of roads and bridges, according to the Reason Foundation’s 2025 Annual Highway Report, taxpayers’ transportation dollars would likely be better spent elsewhere.—
Adam Summers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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All our thoughts are with his family and loved ones at this incredibly sad time.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2026
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That was very sad that Soft Cell’s Dave Ball died at just 66.—
Pat Saperstein,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Oil prices are once again surging in the wake of war in the Middle East, driving up the cost of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel and threatening a return to stagflation — the toxic mix of higher prices and slower growth that made economic life so miserable a half-century ago.—
Paul Wiseman,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2026
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That miserable scoring drought that Philadelphia Flyers captain Sean Couturier was mired in earlier all of a sudden seems like a distant memory.—
Kevin Kurz,
New York Times,
12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Curry scored their last 13 points of regulation, punctuated by a ridiculous game-tying 35-footer.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
12 Apr. 2026
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The Daily News must remove the ridiculous TV crossword puzzles from Ricky Cruz and bring back Jacqueline Mathews.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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These closures reflect various factors, including poor investment returns, a lack of government support for refinery upgrades and higher carbon and energy costs.—
Ian King,
CNBC,
15 Apr. 2026
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After McCandless and her council colleagues approved the sweeping tax breaks, King consistently spoke on how its planning process exemplified poor communication from the city, saying that current leaders should have advocated for a better deal for Independence.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Sam Levinson’s vision of a woman’s life is pretty depressing.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
10 Apr. 2026
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In his teaching, Weil conveyed his love for Russian literature’s very lengthy — and at times dark and depressing — novels with enthusiasm and aplomb, colleagues recalled.—
Bob Goldsborough,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Unlike most lame-duck governors, California’s Gavin Newsom seems ascendant.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
15 Apr. 2026
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There wasn’t much the voters could do with a menu so lame.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The tongue-in-cheek and gleefully gory remake of a 1980s action fantasy is here for those needing some absurd escapism.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
10 Apr. 2026
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That push-and-pull is central to the show, which balances absurd, high-concept comedy with sharp emotional stakes.—
Sarah Rodman,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pathetic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pathetic. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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