Pathetic

Pronunciation: /pəˈθɛtɪk/

Definitions of pathetic

adjective causing or evoking pity, sympathetic sadness, sorrow, etc.; pitiful; pitiable

Example Sentences

A1 The movie was pathetic, but my little sister loved it.

A2 I felt sorry for the pathetic stray dog wandering the streets.

B1 The team's performance in the match was pathetic, they really need to improve.

B2 Her attempt at a joke was met with a pathetic response from the audience.

C1 The politician's excuses for his behavior were seen as pathetic by the public.

C2 The company's attempt to cover up their mistake was seen as pathetic by the media.

Examples of pathetic in a Sentence

formal The company's financial performance this quarter was truly pathetic.

informal I can't believe how pathetic that movie was, I want my money back.

slang She tried to make excuses for her pathetic behavior, but no one was buying it.

figurative His attempt at a joke was so pathetic, no one even cracked a smile.

Grammatical Forms of pathetic

• past tense: patheticized
• plural: pathetics
• comparative: more pathetic
• superlative: most pathetic
• present tense: patheticizes
• future tense: will be pathetic
• perfect tense: has been pathetic
• continuous tense: is being pathetic
• singular: pathetic
• positive degree: pathetic
• infinitive: to be pathetic
• gerund: patheticizing
• participle: patheticized

Origin and Evolution of pathetic

First Known Use: 1598 year

Language of Origin: Greek

Story behind the word: The word 'pathetic' originated from the Greek word 'pathetikos' meaning 'capable of feeling or suffering'.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'pathetic' evolved to also mean 'arousing pity or sadness' or 'lamentable' in addition to its original meaning of 'capable of feeling or suffering'.