pathetic
Deserving only contempt
Pathetic describes something that arouses pity or sadness: a pathetic sight, pathetic cries for help.
More commonly now, it means contemptibly inadequate or weak—deserving scorn rather than sympathy: That was a pathetic excuse, His attempts at flirting were pathetic.
The shift from pitiful to pitiable captures how the word moved from compassion to dismissal.
Morally worthless, beneath regard
- contemptibleDeserving strong disrespect
- disgracefulCausing loss of respect
- shamefulCausing or meriting disgrace
- deplorableDeserving strong disapproval
lamentable · sorry · worthless · lousy · crummy · dismal · poor · inadequate
Deserving sympathetic sorrow
- wretchedExtremely unhappy or unfortunate
- miserableWretchedly unhappy, dejected
- sorryExpressing regret or apology
- sadEmotionally low
touching · moving · poignant · heartrending · compassionate · tender · affecting · stirring
Weak and ineffective
- weakLacking power or force
- impotentLacking power or efficacy
- uselessWithout practical value
- futileIncapable of producing results
inadequate · incompetent · inept · ineffective · toothless · fruitless · unsuccessful · unproductive
Prone to weeping
- weepyInclined to cry
- maudlinExcessively tearful sentiment
- sentimentalExcessively emotional about memories
- melodramaticExaggeratedly emotional in expression
overwrought · sobbing · sniveling · whimpering · blubbering · lachrymose · histrionic · theatrical
despicable
Morally worthless, beneath regard
- contemptibleDeserving strong disrespect
- disgracefulCausing loss of respect
- shamefulCausing or meriting disgrace
deplorable · lamentable · sorry · worthless · lousy · crummy · dismal · poor · inadequate · inferior
pitiable
Deserving sympathetic sorrow
- wretchedExtremely unhappy or unfortunate
- miserableWretchedly unhappy, dejected
- sorryExpressing regret or apology
sad · touching · moving · poignant · heartrending · compassionate · tender · affecting · stirring · plaintive
feeble
Weak and ineffective
futile · inadequate · incompetent · inept · ineffective · toothless · fruitless · unsuccessful · unproductive · unavailing
tearful
Prone to weeping
- weepyInclined to cry
- maudlinExcessively tearful sentiment
- sentimentalExcessively emotional about memories
melodramatic · overwrought · sobbing · sniveling · whimpering · blubbering · lachrymose · histrionic · theatrical · self-pitying
- inferiorinferior, substandard, second-rate, second-class, subpar
- rasaserotic, comic, heroic, furious, terrible
- disgustdisgust, disgusting, disgusted, revulsion, repulsion
- weakweak, feeble, frail, fragile, faint
- sarcasmyeah right, oh please, as if, oh really, how original
- losersloser, failure, runner-up, flop, beaten
patheticimpressive
Evoking admiration or awe
excellent · admirable · outstanding · superb · remarkable
- pathetic fallacyNature given human feelings
sympathetic, apathetic, unsympathetic, pathetic fallacy, pathetically, apathetically, unsympathetically, unempathetic