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 question felt more confrontational than self-pitying.
—
Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 21 July 2025
Pixar has never hesitated to show childhood tumult before, or to explore the feelings that might lead someone to act out, but Elio’s combination of mourning and self-pity are a genuine challenge.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 17 June 2025
Weinstein had a self-pitying and widely covered jailhouse conversation with right-wing commentator Candace Owens in March.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 12 June 2025
The work of avoiding such ignominious history and getting this turned around is Warren Schaeffer’s to do, and the former Yard Goats skipper is not giving despair or self-pity the time of day.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 31 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-pity
Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 21 July 2025
Pixar has never hesitated to show childhood tumult before, or to explore the feelings that might lead someone to act out, but Elio’s combination of mourning and self-pity are a genuine challenge.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 17 June 2025
Weinstein had a self-pitying and widely covered jailhouse conversation with right-wing commentator Candace Owens in March.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 12 June 2025
The work of avoiding such ignominious history and getting this turned around is Warren Schaeffer’s to do, and the former Yard Goats skipper is not giving despair or self-pity the time of day.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 31 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for self-pity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-pity
Noun
-
There’s not even a sadness or an anger.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
1 Oct. 2025
-
When his dog, Grace, died the year before, at the age of sixteen and a half, the sadness was overwhelming.—
Ann Patchett,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
While the vigil was not planned in response to the shooting at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township, attendees and speakers expressed grief over the incident.—
Tess Ware,
Freep.com,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Uzbek artist Feruza Kholkhujaeva filled courtyards with potted plants that will slowly die, a portrait of grief.—
Dada Jovanovic,
ABC News,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Neighbors and members of the community in Grand Blanc, Michigan, expressed shock and sorrow in interviews with Fox News Digital.—
Anders Hagstrom , Garrett Tenney,
FOXNews.com,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Words cannot capture the depth of our sorrow for their loss.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
But even here, the ache of the lovers’ separation registers with only a muffled sense of melancholy.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Some gags land, others don’t, and the script’s sudden bursts of melancholy dependably catch you in the gut.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
By the time the misery was over, Skubal walked toward the dugout, took a hard seat on the bench and clasped his hands.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
24 Sep. 2025
-
Far from signaling misery, crying can be a source of pleasure, as when people pay good money to read a tearjerker or watch a three-hankie movie.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
23 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Garner watches his anguish, with respect.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Although many questions remain, the few answers the Vaneks have, however tenuous, serve as an antidote to the anguish of never knowing.—
Ted Katauskas,
Outside,
23 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Safdie may have found a new way to make a sports drama, one that relies less on the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat and more on all that is contained in the ambivalent middle.—
Richard Lawson,
Rolling Stone,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Lessing expresses no regret or agony at her childhood actions, or at what happens next.—
Rebecca van Laer
September 30,
Literary Hub,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
September was supposed to be all doom and gloom.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Meanwhile, job growth hasn’t been as robust as other indicators have been, casting gloom over the housing market.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
27 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Self-pity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-pity. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
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