Use of pathetic
Hi
I have seen the word pathetic being used in a positive sense also. To me, it has only negative connotations.
pathetic = causing pathos or pity
The victims looked very pathetic.
She cried pathetically.
Could you please give your take on this?
Thanks,
Tom
Top answer
Mr. Tom I have seen the word pathetic being used in a positive sense also. Could you please give your take on this?
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Mr. TomI have seen the word pathetic being used in a positive sense also.
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Could you please give your take on this?
Yes. It can go either way.
pathetic: having a capacity to move one to either compassionate or contemptuous pity
(My mother used to use it more often in the compassionate way. "She didn't have much
0Mr. TomCould you please give your take on this?
"Pathetic" can mean nothing more than "arousing pity", but this use is rapidly fading. I think you can call "pathetic" a worsened word. It now means "contemptible" to the average person.
There is also something called the pathetic fallacy, one application of which is the notion that animals think as feel
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