pathetic
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
so weak, small, or bad that it is embarrassing or annoying.
arousing scorn or contempt through miserable inadequacy or lack of effort.
Simple“The team gave a pathetic performance and lost the game by five goals.”
In context“The company's pathetic attempt to justify the price hike only served to further alienate its long-term customer base.”
UsageOften used as a strong insult to describe an excuse, an effort, or a person's character.
Antonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
making you feel deep sadness or pity.
arousing pity, sympathy, or compassion; evocative of pathos.
Simple“The lost kitten looked pathetic shivering in the cold rain.”
In context“The witness gave a pathetic account of the hardships faced by the refugees during the winter months.”
Teacher's tipWhile this sense is the original meaning, be aware that modern speakers often use 'pathetic' to mean 'useless' or 'contemptible' instead.
Synonyms - 03 C2 Proficiency
a technical word for a specific nerve or muscle in the eye.
relating to the trochlear nerve or the superior oblique muscle of the eye.
Simple“The doctor checked the pathetic nerve to see if the patient's eye could move correctly.”
In context“Damage to the pathetic nerve can result in vertical diplopia, significantly affecting the patient's ability to look downward and inward.”
Synonymstrochlear
“He cuts a pretty pathetic figure visually, too: geeky dress sense, feebly unassertive, his hair a mess.”
From Middle French pathétique, from Latin patheticus, from Ancient Greek παθητικός (pathētikós, “subject to feeling, capable of feeling, impassioned”), from παθητός (pathētós, “one who has suffered, subject to suffering”), from πάσχω (páskhō, “to suffer”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.