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
-
The relationships Anaya and her teammates created will long outlast the sadness from getting outplayed Friday.—
Ethan Hanson,
Daily News,
30 May 2026
-
In a Facebook post, the Islamic Center drew connections between the holiday, the community’s sadness and the sacrifice the men made.—
Roxana Popescu,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
Selin was able to share more about her years of world travel, while the woman, Maria Alvarez, 81, spoke about her family and occasional moments of grief.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
30 May 2026
-
In the midst of losing her first husband and the grief that consumed her in 2005, Kimberly Schlapman had to turn her attention to her mother.—
Madeline Mitchell,
USA Today,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
Amidst the sorrow of the past eight years, Ronnie and Lydia vowed to never stop searching for their granddaughter.—
James C Ramos,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 May 2026
-
Officials have shared their sorrow and paid tribute to the victims of the accident.—
Adam England,
PEOPLE,
26 May 2026
Noun
-
Absent the lush melancholy of classic synth-pop, what Hervé and Amato had in common with their forbears was a spirit of innovation rooted in profound laziness.—
Walden Green,
Pitchfork,
23 May 2026
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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
Noun
-
The world may have looked grim in what was also a penultimate week before elections, when the focus becomes necessarily not on joy but misery, the political premise being the winning candidate is the one who makes the electorate the angriest.—
Mark Swed,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
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Plus, to your other point, any contender is one injury away from misery, as the Warriors have shown with Stephen Curry in recent years or the Pacers showed with Tyrese Halliburton this season (while accepting the Celtics as an outlier).—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
Fans streamed out of the stadium in Budapest and the players fell to the grass in anguish.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
-
According to the footage, what awaits Rhaenyra during her reign are fearful subjects, conniving enemies, sleepless nights and plenty of anguish.—
Tracy Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
Tony was in agony and there was a lot of blood.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
28 May 2026
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Jack Grealish had rolled on the floor in agony.—
Sam Lee,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
Noun
-
There is much doom-and-gloom about this, including that some refer to the probability of doom, known as p(doom), when discussing the existential risks of AI.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
-
But as things stand right now, in the gloom of June, San Francisco is clearly the third-best team in its own division, behind the now-Super Bowl favorite Rams and the defending-champion Seahawks.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-pity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-pity. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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