English · Word Candidate

pathetic

/pəˈθɛtɪk/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Arousing pity, sympathy, or compassion; exciting pathos.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Kích thích sự thương cảm, đồng cảm hoặc lòng trắc ẩn

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Adjective

The child’s pathetic pleas for forgiveness stirred the young man’s heart.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Arousing scorn or contempt, often due to miserable inadequacy.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Kích thích sự khinh thường hoặc鄙视, thường do sự bất lực đáng thương

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Adjective

You can't even run two miles? That’s pathetic.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

What does “pathetic” mean?

Arousing pity, sympathy, or compassion; exciting pathos.

Is “pathetic” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.