SELF-PITY Synonyms: 105 Similar and Opposite Words

self-pity

noun

Definition of self-pity

as in sadness

disapproving a feeling of pity for yourself because you believe you have suffered more than is fair or reasonable He was wallowing in self-pity. She spoke without a trace of self-pity.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of self-pity Successive setbacks have predisposed Hungarians to pessimism, even self-pity. — Isaac Stanley-Becker, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2026 Or perhaps he is known less by image and more as a disembodied voice, glitching his way across vintage Kanye tracks and rumbling words of self-pity opposite Taylor Swift. — Mitch Therieau, Pitchfork, 8 Apr. 2026 Despite the challenges, Urso refused to indulge in self-pity. — Daniel I. Dorfman, Chicago Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026 Those reflections on youthful passion contrast sharply with the Mozzer’s current state of self-pity. — Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 6 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for self-pity

Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-pity

Noun

There was a moment this week when tears of sadness gave way to elation for one California couple.

— Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
The local journalists who cover the Bend community every day were not immune from the grief and sadness after today’s deadly shooting of children at an elementary school.

— Phil Helsel, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of sadness

Noun

The local journalists who cover the Bend community every day were not immune from the grief and sadness after today’s deadly shooting of children at an elementary school.

— Phil Helsel, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2026
Hundreds of mourners later gathered at Rehman Baba cemetery for mass funeral prayers as grief gripped the neighborhood and announcements echoed from mosque loudspeakers, urging residents to join in prayers for those killed.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of grief

Noun

Wichita Mayor Lily Wu said on her personal Facebook page that the incident left her filled with sorrow.

— Dennis Romero, NBC news, 18 Oct. 2026
Like many songwriters who’ve ever poured their romantic sorrows out in their music, the challenge in this new era was getting acquainted with writing from a place of happiness instead, which can be a source of anxiety itself.

— Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of sorrow

Noun

The vestiges of his fading memory flash by with a haunting plainness, the melancholy of all this Americana and the sadness of a mind ravaged by time strike the viewer plainly at the end of this maximalist piece of life-writing.

— Stephanie Wambugu, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026
The question for me is whether or not Lloyd will also manage to capture the melancholy of a deceptively serious play, notwithstanding its reputation.

— Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of melancholy

Noun

Waiting for the Jets are the defending AFC champion Patriots and a stadium that has delivered far more misery than milestones.

— Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 18 Oct. 2026
With Dunham as creator, showrunner and star, the original series followed a group of friends through the misery and dysfunction of their 20s in New York City.

— Selome Hailu, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of misery

Noun

Set to a downtempo bachata, the track features Lorén’s penetrating vocals filled with anguish at the impossible cycle of working endlessly to make ends meet.

— Vanessa Diaz, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2026
Abrams does yeoman’s work with a character stuck in a tight spot for most of the running time, constantly grunting and gasping with a mixture of anguish and exhaustion as his body gets progressively more beat up and broken.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of anguish

Noun

The minutes had passed so quickly for the rest of the world, but for the families waiting to learn whether their children were alive, the abrupt end of the gunfire wasn’t the end of their agony.

— Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
The daughters of burning witches were sometimes made to stand close to the pyre, being whipped by locals while watching their mothers die in agony.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026