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
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
Not that Paul, 42 years old and newly divorced, is overly inclined toward self-pity.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 29 Aug. 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
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
Not that Paul, 42 years old and newly divorced, is overly inclined toward self-pity.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 29 Aug. 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
-
Emotions were on full display with many expressing sadness and frustration, not only over Wednesday's federal raid, but raids happening around the Twin Cities over the last 40 days.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The initial answer to that question is a no, according to some evangelical pastors and commentators who reacted with shock and sadness to Yancey’s confession.—
John Blake,
CNN Money,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The novel is a penetrating meditation on time and grief.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Muhammad Reza/Anadolu via Getty Images Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the loss of lives and offered condolences to the victims' families, according to a statement from his office.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Death, fear, and sorrow unify the disparate practices.—
Rivka Galchen,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
-
But grief will give you so much more than sorrow.—
Lauren DePino,
CNN Money,
4 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Cookie cravings, a tinge of melancholy, and the urge to hibernate and fix your life all at once.—
Anna Grace Lee,
Vogue,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Others though, like benzodiazepines, have wildly missed the mark, causing decades of unintended consequences and human misery.—
Thomas Goetz,
STAT,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Instead of getting used to the smells, her misery intensified with each passing day.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
However, the announcement has not dispelled the uncertainty or anguish among detainees’ families.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Nacua lay on the turf at Bank of America Stadium, not in physical pain but instead in mental anguish.—
Adam Grosbard,
Oc Register,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The dramatic arc of the film’s first half — filled with the ecstasy of God’s embrace and the agony of imprisonment — is told through musical numbers, adapted from the Shakers’ ecstatic worship, dance, hymns, and music (watch the video above to learn more).—
Chris O'Falt,
IndieWire,
7 Jan. 2026
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One year before Ingri and Edgar Parin D’Aulaire published their compendium of Greek myths, Cicellis released her second work of fiction, The Way to Colonos, which ruthlessly dramatizes the limits of individual freedom and the agony of facing one’s powerlessness.—
Rachel Vorona Cote,
The Atlantic,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Why, then, the unrelenting economic gloom?—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
6 Jan. 2026
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But despite all the gloom, there are reasons for optimism.—
Wayne Winegarden,
Oc Register,
4 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-pity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-pity. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
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