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
-
Regarding the Armani company, Nicolas Hieronimus, chief executive officer of L’Oréal, during a call Tuesday evening with analysts and journalists to discuss third-quarter and nine-months results reiterated sadness in the passing of Giorgio Armani, with whom the group collaborated for 40 years.—
Footwear News,
Footwear News,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Keep in mind, sadness may not be the only emotion kids show.—
Hannah Nwoko,
Parents,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Ari Aster's sophomore directorial effort might seem like another atmospheric cultish folk horror, but the film uses the genre as a symbolic journey for the overcoming of grief and shedding one life for another.—
Steven Thrash,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Caregiver support groups and therapy have been essential in navigating my grief.—
David Oliver,
USA Today,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
This grim reality evokes a sense of sorrow and powerlessness among women in Paina Bujurg.—
Aishwarya S. Iyer,
CNN Money,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Critics have hailed his performance’s blend of warmth, humor and sorrow.—
Scott Feinberg,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The manager who is so often the picture of calm had reddened eyes, a hint of melancholy in his voice.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
11 Oct. 2025
-
The pop icon’s 12th album, released at midnight on Friday, is being hailed for the singer’s return to upbeat pop following last year’s melancholy The Tortured Poets Department, with Swift reuniting with Swedish hitmaker producers Max Martin and Shellback.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
While most of us on the plane were in this same unexpected predicament, a passenger nearby didn't seem to be sharing in our misery thanks to a compact gadget propped up their phone to the perfect viewing height.—
Anita Katee,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Oct. 2025
-
His matchup against Minnesota could add to the misery.—
Brad Evans,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
It's been a consistently reliable genre in the decades since, pairing mental anguish and unreliable perspectives with nightmarish imagery and terrors that lie just beyond our perceptions.—
Steven Thrash,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Through his music, Carrillo transforms personal anguish into empowering anthems, elevating moments of silence into rich, melodic soundscapes and celebrating the beauty of struggle itself.—
Jessica Roiz,
Billboard,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Aches and pains don’t compare to the agony of an unrealized dream.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
13 Oct. 2025
-
But this specific take on the agony and the, well, extra helping of agony that parenthood often feels like is all hers.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Not all is doom and gloom with this astrological transit.—
Lisa Stardust,
Refinery29,
14 Oct. 2025
-
The weather is finally shifting to match the season, but celebrity beauty isn’t falling into the gloom.—
Essence,
Essence,
13 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Self-pity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-pity. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.
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