pathetic — [pə thet′ik] adj. [LL patheticus < Gr pathētikos, akin to pathos, suffering, PATHOS] 1. expressing, arousing, or intended to arouse pity, sorrow, sympathy, or compassion; pitiful 2. pitifully unsuccessful, ineffective, etc. [a pathetic… … English World dictionary
pathetic — (adj.) 1590s, affecting the emotions, exciting the passions, from M.Fr. pathétique moving, stirring, affecting (16c.), from L.L. patheticus, from Gk. pathetikos sensitive, capable of emotion, from pathetos liable to suffer, verbal adj. of pathein … Etymology dictionary
pathetic — in its modern informal meaning ‘inadequate, feeble’, has compromised the primary (and by no means derogatory) meaning ‘arousing pity or sadness’ to the extent that a statement such as The play opens with a pathetic speech is likely to be… … Modern English usage
pathetic — index deplorable, disconsolate, lamentable, paltry Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 … Law dictionary
pathetic — poignant, affecting, *moving, touching, impressive Analogous words: *pitiful, piteous, pitiable: plaintive, *melancholy, doleful Antonyms: comical … New Dictionary of Synonyms
pathetic — [adj] sad, affecting commiserable, deplorable, distressing, feeble, heartbreaking, heartrending*, inadequate, lamentable, meager, melting, miserable, moving, paltry, petty, piteous, pitiable, pitiful, plaintive, poignant, poor, puny, rueful,… … New thesaurus
pathetic — ► ADJECTIVE 1) arousing pity. 2) informal miserably inadequate. 3) archaic relating to the emotions. DERIVATIVES pathetically adverb. ORIGIN Greek path tikos sensitive , from pathos suffering … English terms dictionary
-pathetic — or pathic adj combining form • • • Main Entry: ↑ path … Useful english dictionary
pathetic — 01. My tennis serve is [pathetic]; I really have to work on it. 02. The baby was sick for the first few days after it was born, and was [pathetically] small and weak. 03. The little dog looked [pathetic] waiting outside in the pouring rain. 04.… … Grammatical examples in English
pathetic — [[t]pəθe̱tɪk[/t]] 1) ADJ GRADED If you describe a person or animal as pathetic, you mean that they are sad and weak or helpless, and they make you feel very sorry for them. ...a pathetic little dog with a curly tail... The small group of… … English dictionary
