as in sadness
disapproving
a feeling of pity for yourself because you believe you have suffered more than is fair or reasonable
He was wallowing in self-pity. She spoke without a trace of self-pity.
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Recent Examples of self-pity
Being fat or an immigrant or full of self-pity for one reason or other.
—
Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025
The sadness comes from a loss, defeat, or humiliation, and is accompanied by a feeling of helplessness and self-pity.
—Big Think, 23 Sep. 2025
For the first — and perhaps only — time in his Iowa coaching career, Ferentz briefly wallowed in self-pity.
—Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025
Because what's the legacy of your mother was killed by your father, who then, in a fit of self-pity and fear, killed himself?
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-pity
Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025
The sadness comes from a loss, defeat, or humiliation, and is accompanied by a feeling of helplessness and self-pity.
—Big Think, 23 Sep. 2025
For the first — and perhaps only — time in his Iowa coaching career, Ferentz briefly wallowed in self-pity.
—Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025
Because what's the legacy of your mother was killed by your father, who then, in a fit of self-pity and fear, killed himself?
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-pity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-pity
Noun
-
Across countries, sadness, anger, loneliness and despair are at the highest levels recorded in decades.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The mood in the crowd was widespread anger and sadness — recalling the same outpouring of wrath and grief that shook the city after the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police in 2020, although without the widespread violent protests then.—
Jack Brook,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Orphans and widows do not often accept the wider geopolitical need for their immediate grief.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
31 Jan. 2026
-
The demonstration was marked by intense emotion, with rage, frustration and grief reflected in signs and chants calling for accountability and change.—
Jasmine Arenas,
CBS News,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Inevitably, Big Ant soon comes crashing back down to Earth and the swirl of anger and sorrow that await him there; inevitably, Lil Ant and Lozita are forced to face his unhappiness, and figure out how to react.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Saturn leaving Pisces on February 13 lifts the heavy blanket of sorrow and exhaustion that’s been dampening your life force for the last three years, freeing you to unthaw a bit from the winter of your discontent.—
Steph Koyfman,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
At some point this winter — maybe a few days, maybe a few weeks — melancholy will fade and Hurricanes fans will be able to appreciate all that was accomplished during a season when UM got back its good name and returned to prominence.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
20 Jan. 2026
-
Neither a square nor prime number, 2026 is still intriguing Number enthusiasts may be looking to the new year with a touch of melancholy.—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
This week’s massive winter storm dumped more than a foot of snow on at least 19 states, including those like Texas and Tennessee that are less prepared to deal with the miseries of winter weather.—
Amy Feldman,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
-
But apartheid brought immense unhappiness and misery to white South Africans, too.—
Eve Fairbanks,
The Dial,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
And while a whole country’s anguish may put their problems in perspective, that doesn’t necessarily make those problems easier to solve.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Caution and fear, laced with anguish, must inform every decision.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
That data may suffer from recency bias—the last memory of fans who enjoy part of a great match but eventually lose their seat is negative, whereas fans who waited for hours to get into the end of a great match may forget the agony of the wait.—
Lev Akabas,
Sportico.com,
30 Jan. 2026
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One lives vicariously with the band through the agony of the days when creativity was limited by how much tape was available or how much space there was on a single album without making the perilous leap to double.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
New Moon is decidedly the least-beloved Twilight movie due to its slower plot, excessive doom and gloom, and Edward's absence.—
Lincee Ray,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Feb. 2026
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To Dallas’ astoundingly great luck, the arrival and rise of Cooper Flagg has been a bright ray of hope and excitement, but with Doncic back in the building the air was thick with gloom, regret and, yes, ongoing anger.—
Brad Townsend,
Dallas Morning News,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-pity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-pity. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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