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Emotional vs Pathetic - What's the difference?

emotional | pathetic |

As adjectives the difference between emotional and pathetic

is that emotional is of or relating to the emotions while pathetic is arousing pity, sympathy, or compassion.

emotional

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Of or relating to the emotions.
  • emotional crisis
  • Characterised by emotion.
  • Determined by emotion rather than reason.
  • emotional decision
  • Appealing to or arousing emotion.
  • emotional speech
  • Easily affected by emotion.
  • She’s an emotional person.
  • Readily displaying emotion.
  • emotional greeting

    Synonyms

    * demonstrative * effusive * sentimental * temperamental

    Derived terms

    * emotional cripple * emotionalise (also emotionalize) * emotionalism * emotionally * * *

    pathetic

    English

    Alternative forms

    * pathetick (archaic) * patheticke (obsolete) * pathetique (obsolete)

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Arousing pity, sympathy, or compassion.
  • The old man’s pathetic pleas for forgiveness stirred the young man’s heart.
  • Arousing scornful pity or contempt, often due to miserable inadequacy.
  • You can't even run two miles? That’s pathetic .
    You're almost 26 years old and you still can't hold a real job? That's pathetic .
  • * {{quote-video, year=2005, title=
  • , passage=Well you'd better think of something because middle-aged tramps aren't cute, they're pathetic .}}
  • (obsolete) Expressing or showing anger; passionate.
  • Synonyms

    * (arousing pity) pitiful, wretched, miserable, deplorable, pathetisad * (arousing scorn) disgraceful, shameful, despicable, dishonorable

    Derived terms

    * patheticism * patheticness