Meanings
adjectiveself-pitying (comparative more self-pitying, superlative most self-pitying)
comparative more self-pitying · superlative most self-pitying
- Pitying oneself; marked by self-pity.
Yet The Smiths' hopelessness has also turned listeners off. Their music seems at times too self-indulgent and self-pitying to be taken seriously.
1986 August 9, Gerardo Maria Cabrera, “The Smiths Turn to Subtle Self-Parody”, in Gay Community News, page 7Synonyms: maudlin, sorry for oneself
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectivePitying oneself; marked by self-pity.
Similar
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*swé?
- Proto-Indo-European*selbʰ-
- Proto-Germanic*selbaz
- Old Englishself
- Old Englishself-
- Middle Englishself-
- Englishself-
- Englishpitying
- Englishself-pitying
Translations
Czech sebelítostivý, bolestínský
- sebelítostivýmarked by self-pity
- bolestínskýmarked by self-pity
Danish selvmedlidende
- selvmedlidendemarked by self-pity
Dutch zelfmedelijdend
- zelfmedelijdendmarked by self-pity
German selbstmitleidig
- selbstmitleidigmarked by self-pity
Swedish självömkande
- självömkandemarked by self-pity
Cite this entry
APA
self-pitying. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/self-pitying
MLA
“self-pitying.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/self-pitying. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “self-pitying,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/self-pitying.
Source: self-pitying on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.