Pitiful
Pitiful adjective - Deserving pitying scorn (as for inadequacy).
Usage example: that piece of junk is a pitiful excuse for a car
Pathetic is a synonym for pitiful in moving topic. In some cases you can use "Pathetic" instead an adjective "Pitiful", when it comes to topics like pity, woeful, poor, paltry. informal substitute
Pathetic
Pathetic adjective - Deserving of one's pity.
Usage example: the plight of the homeless family was quite pathetic
Pitiful is a synonym for pathetic in moving topic. You can use "Pitiful" instead an adjective "Pathetic", if it concerns topics such as pity, woeful, inadequate, feeble. popular alternative
Nearby Words: pathos, pathetically, pathetics
Mutual synonyms
Related pairs
Cite this Source
Pathetic and Pitiful. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 16, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/pitiful/pathetic
Pitiful & Pathetic. N.p., 2016. Web. 16 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/pitiful/pathetic>.
Pathetic or Pitiful. 2016. Accessed August 16, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/pitiful/pathetic.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "pitiful" and "pathetic" have occurred on timeline