"pathetic" in the adjective sense
1. hapless, miserable, misfortunate, pathetic, piteous, pitiable, pitiful, poor, wretched
deserving or inciting pity
"a hapless victim"
"miserable victims of war"
"the shabby room struck her as extraordinarily pathetic"- Galsworthy
"piteous appeals for help"
"pitiable homeless children"
"a pitiful fate"
"Oh, you poor thing"
"his poor distorted limbs"
"a wretched life"
2. pathetic, pitiable, pitiful
inspiring mixed contempt and pity
"their efforts were pathetic"
"pitiable lack of character"
"pitiful exhibition of cowardice"
3. pathetic, ridiculous, silly
inspiring scornful pity
"how silly an ardent and unsuccessful wooer can be especially if he is getting on in years"- Dashiell Hammett
Source: WordNet® (An amazing lexical database of English)
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