pathetic

«pathetic» in Mova's school dictionary: Very weak, useless or poor; not good enough: «That was a… — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

part of speech

adjective (pathetic, more pathetic)

meaning for a pupil

1) (informal, rude) Very weak, useless or poor; not good enough: «That was a pathetic excuse.» tree →

2) Making you feel pity and sadness: a pathetic little kitten in the rain. tree →

sense in the lessons

In everyday talk children and adults use it as an insult (rude) for something feeble. In older stories it means sad and pitiful. Phrases: a pathetic excuse, pathetic attempt.

examples

• That's a pathetic excuse for not doing your homework. tree →
• Our team was pathetic today; we lost ten-nil. tree →
• Stop being pathetic and help me. tree →
• The lost puppy gave a pathetic whimper. tree →
• The tiny bird looked pathetic in the snow. tree →
• Calling someone pathetic is unkind. tree →

note

Adverb: pathetically. Used about a person it is insulting; be careful. The old meaning (causing pity) is kinder. Related noun: pathos.

Trees and pragmatics

Every meaning and example of «pathetic» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.