Pathetic vs Piteous - What's the difference?
pathetic | piteous | Synonyms |
Arousing pity, sympathy, or compassion.
Arousing scornful pity or contempt, often due to miserable inadequacy.
* {{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.
pitiful; evincing pity, compassion, or sympathy.
* Shakespeare
(obsolete) pious; devout
* Wyclif
(obsolete) compassionate; tender
* Alexander Pope
(obsolete) paltry; mean; pitiful
Piteous is a synonym of pathetic.
In obsolete terms the difference between pathetic and piteous
is that pathetic is expressing or showing anger; passionate while piteous is paltry; mean; pitiful.As adjectives the difference between pathetic and piteous
is that pathetic is arousing pity, sympathy, or compassion while piteous is pitiful; evincing pity, compassion, or sympathy.pathetic
English
Alternative forms
* pathetick (archaic) * patheticke (obsolete) * pathetique (obsolete)Adjective
(en adjective)- The old man’s pathetic pleas for forgiveness stirred the young man’s heart.
- 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 .
Synonyms
* (arousing pity) pitiful, wretched, miserable, deplorable, pathetisad * (arousing scorn) disgraceful, shameful, despicable, dishonorableDerived terms
* patheticism * patheticnessExternal links
* *piteous
English
Adjective
(en adjective)- The most piteous tale of Lear.
- The Lord can deliver piteous men from temptation.
- [She was] piteous of his case.
- (Milton)