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.

Adjective

(en-adj)

Warning of bad consequences: ill-boding; portentous.

Requiring action to prevent bad consequences: urgent, pressing.

*{{quote-magazine, date=2014-06-14, volume=411, issue=8891, magazine=(The Economist)

, title= It's a gas , passage=One of the hidden glories of Victorian engineering is proper drains.

Expressing bad consequences: dreadful; dismal; horrible; terrible; lamentable.

(label) Bad in quality, awful, terrible.

* {{quote-news, year=2011, date=December 10, author=Arindam Rej, work=BBC Sport

, title= Norwich 4-2 Newcastle , passage=A second Norwich goal in four minutes arrived after some dire Newcastle defending. Gosling gave the ball away with a sloppy back-pass, allowing Crofts to curl in a cross that the unmarked Morison powered in with a firm, 12-yard header.}}