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
Those reflections on youthful passion contrast sharply with the Mozzer’s current state of self-pity.
—
Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 6 Mar. 2026
Winning an Olympic gold medal with Team USA last month has undoubtedly helped his mood, but there’s also a level of maturity at this stage of his career — and life — that doesn’t leave much room for self-pity.
—Vincent Z. Mercogliano, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026
Now 30, Varvarych was a bodybuilder and is still proud of his physique, refusing to show self-pity.
—Carol Guzy, NPR, 22 Feb. 2026
No self-pity in those four words, no performance of stoicism either—just the clean arithmetic of a life lived at full speed.
—Outside, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for self-pity
Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 6 Mar. 2026
Winning an Olympic gold medal with Team USA last month has undoubtedly helped his mood, but there’s also a level of maturity at this stage of his career — and life — that doesn’t leave much room for self-pity.
—Vincent Z. Mercogliano, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026
Now 30, Varvarych was a bodybuilder and is still proud of his physique, refusing to show self-pity.
—Carol Guzy, NPR, 22 Feb. 2026
No self-pity in those four words, no performance of stoicism either—just the clean arithmetic of a life lived at full speed.
—Outside, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for self-pity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-pity
Noun
-
There’s some sadness mixed with true joy.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
8 May 2026
-
For McKidd, seeing Dane included in the finale montage brought both sadness and gratitude.—
Deirdre Durkan,
PEOPLE,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
These could simply be great-grandparents put peacefully to rest in old age, a kind of grief far removed from that which children feel over parents who simply cannot care for them, or parents lost to murder or addiction, as some of the letters describe.—
Casey Cep,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
-
Kera Sanchez is editor-in-chief of Get Griefy Magazine, which is dedicated to helping people living with grief find solace, inspiration, and a sense of community.—
Edie Kasten,
CBS News,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
Yet this book is written more in sorrow than in anger.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 May 2026
-
Late in the picture, a display of kindness from the elderly Catalan woman Lucila looks after introduces an unexpected reciprocity of care — even with those unfamiliar with her sorrows and the intricacies of her cultural background.—
Carlos Aguilar,
IndieWire,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
While the actors are committed, poignant and warm, their upbeat tone doesn’t always blend well with the melancholy of the picture.—
Tomris Laffly,
Variety,
13 May 2026
-
These flashes of melancholy or yearning give the record complexity and depth, as well as stopping it from devolving into wackiness.—
Alastair Shuttleworth,
Pitchfork,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
The parallels between Ines’ dilemma and that of a nation being asked to lick its wounds in silence — in the name of moving on from past miseries — are present but elusive.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
14 May 2026
-
There are fun bad teams, or teams that at least make a unique bonding experience out of their specific type of misery.—
Hanif Abdurraqib,
New Yorker,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
Being separated from her parents as a baby was an unhealed sorrow for Heidi, and her anguish followed her into the messy intimacy of family life.—
Nicholas Dawidoff,
New Yorker,
10 May 2026
-
Her outside-looking in remembrances (Romvari shoots scenes sometimes from the perspective of looking through a window) elliptically convey much – parental anguish about what would be the best call to action for the entire family, not the upheaval felt within the family.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
Kirby, screaming in agony, was on his knees as officers ordered him to drop a knife, according to video.—
David K. Li,
NBC news,
15 May 2026
-
The sight of a heart-and-soul player in agony on the ice, then being helped off it — by captain Marie-Philip Poulin, Stacey’s wife — was a shock.—
Hailey Salvian,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Labour has been plunged into gloom by heavy losses last week in local elections across England and legislative votes in Scotland and Wales.—
Jill Lawless,
Fortune,
11 May 2026
-
The high summer gloom magnified the nightmarish fairytale of it all.—
Eli Raphael,
PEOPLE,
10 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-pity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-pity. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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