moving, impressive, poignant, affecting, touching, pathetic mean having the power to produce deep emotion. moving may apply to any strong emotional effect including thrilling, agitating, …

PATHETIC definition: 1. causing feelings of sadness, sympathy, or sometimes lack of respect, especially because a person…. Learn more.

PATHETIC definition: causing or evoking pity, sympathetic sadness, sorrow, etc.; pitiful; pitiable. See examples of pathetic used in a sentence.

Dec 14, 2025 · pathetic (comparative more pathetic, superlative most pathetic) The child’s pathetic pleas for forgiveness stirred the young man’s heart.

If you describe someone or something as pathetic, you mean that they make you feel impatient or angry, often because they are weak or not very good.

Definition of pathetic adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

1. causing or evoking pity, either sympathetically or contemptibly; pitiful: a pathetic sight; a pathetic return on our investment. 2. sad; sorrowful; mournful: a pathetic tone of voice.