self-pity

self-pit·y (s

)

Pity for oneself, especially exaggerated or self-indulgent pity.

self-pity·ing adj.

self-pity·ing·ly adv.

self-pity

the act or state of pitying oneself, esp in an exaggerated or self-indulgent manner

self-pitying adj

self-pityingly adv

Self-Pity

crying towel An imaginary towel offered to the kind of person who chronically complains about ill fortune, minor defeats, or other adversities. The phrase can be used teasingly or judg-mentally, implying that one who needs a “crying towel” is unnecessarily wallowing in self-pity.

cry in one’s beer To overindulge in self-pity; to be inappropriately sentimental or maudlin; to feel sorry for one-self. This expression probably derives from the fact that many people tend to become sentimental, even teary-eyed, after a few drinks. The result of such self-indulgence is often sloppy behavior and a loose tongue.

cry on [someone’s] shoulder To reveal one’s problems to another person in order to get sympathy; to assail someone’s ear with one’s woes in an attempt to win pity or to get moral support. Although the image is of a distraught person literally crying in another person’s arms, the expression is usually used hyperbolically and sometimes with a sarcastic edge undercutting the seriousness or gravity of the situation.

eat one’s heart To suffer inconsolably; to have sorrow or longing dominate one’s thoughts and feelings; to be in a constant state of mental and emotional disquietude. Spenser used this expression in The Fairie Queene (1596):

He could not rest; but did his stout heart eat.

More common today is the expression eat one’s heart out. It is often heard as a playfully sarcastic command, very different in tone from the earlier serious version of the expression.

sob story See SENTIMENTALITY.

ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms

Noun

self-pity - a feeling of sorrow (often self-indulgent) over your own sufferings

sorrow - an emotion of great sadness associated with loss or bereavement; "he tried to express his sorrow at her loss"

Translations

self-pity [ˌselfˈpɪtɪ] N → autocompasión f

self-pity [ˌsɛlfˈpɪtɪ] n → autocommiserazione f

Mentioned in	?		References in classic literature	?		Dictionary browser	?		Full browser	?
dejection desolation Emotions flabbily flabbiness flabby hollo lovesick rarity reeking reeky self self-pitying selflessness shout out snap snap back snap up Snapping	His days were filled with morbid self-pity, which eventually engendered in his weak and vacillating mind a hatred for those who had sent him here--for the very men he had at first inwardly thanked for saving him from the ignominy of degradation. Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar by Burroughs, Edgar Rice View in context Tears came to my eyes then, not tears of self-pity for my predicament, but tears from a heart filled with a great love--a heart that sees the sun of its life and its love setting even as it rises. The People That Time Forgot by Burroughs, Edgar Rice View in context Then a dampness came into Ebbits's eyes, and I knew that the sorrow of self-pity was his. Love of Life And Other Stories by London, Jack View in context	self-mockery self-mortification Self-motion self-motivated Self-moved Self-moving Self-murder Self-murderer self-mutilation self-neglect Self-neglecting self-observation Self-one self-opinion self-opinionated Self-opinioned self-ordained self-organisation self-organization Self-originating self-parody Self-partiality self-perception self-perpetuating Self-perplexed self-pity self-pitying self-poised self-pollinated self-pollinating self-pollination self-portrait Self-posited Self-positing self-possessed self-possession self-praise self-preservation self-pride self-proclaimed self-produced self-professed self-promotion self-pronouncing Self-propagating self-propelled self-propelled vehicle self-propelling self-protection self-protection depth self-protective	Self-originating Self-Orthogonalizing Transform-Domain Least Mean Square Self-Oscillating Mixer Self-Oscillating Mixer Array Self-Oscillating Switching Converter Self-Oscillations self-other Self-Paced E-Learning Self-Paced Instruction Self-Paced Virtual Class Self-Pacing Biology Experiences self-parodies Self-parody Self-partiality self-perception Self-Perception Profile for College Students Self-Perception Profiles for Adolescents Self-perception theory Self-Perfecting self-perpetuating self-perpetuation Self-perplexed Self-phase modulation Self-phase modulation Self-Pinched Electron Beam Diode self-pity self-pitying self-pityingly self-poised self-poisoning Self-policing self-pollinate self-pollinate self-pollinated self-pollinated self-pollinating self-pollinating self-pollination self-pollination self-pollinator self-pollinator self-pollinators self-pollinators self-portrait self-portrait self-portrait self-portraits self-portraits Self-portraiture Self-portraiture Self-posited Self-positing self-possessed self-possessed self-possession self-possession

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dejection
desolation
Emotions
flabbily
flabbiness
flabby
hollo
lovesick
rarity
reeking
reeky
self
self-pitying
selflessness
shout out
snap
snap back
snap up
Snapping

His days were filled with morbid self-pity, which eventually engendered in his weak and vacillating mind a hatred for those who had sent him here--for the very men he had at first inwardly thanked for saving him from the ignominy of degradation.

Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar by Burroughs, Edgar Rice View in context

Tears came to my eyes then, not tears of self-pity for my predicament, but tears from a heart filled with a great love--a heart that sees the sun of its life and its love setting even as it rises.

The People That Time Forgot by Burroughs, Edgar Rice View in context

Then a dampness came into Ebbits's eyes, and I knew that the sorrow of self-pity was his.

Love of Life And Other Stories by London, Jack View in context

Self-originating
Self-Orthogonalizing Transform-Domain Least Mean Square
Self-Oscillating Mixer
Self-Oscillating Mixer Array
Self-Oscillating Switching Converter
Self-Oscillations
self-other
Self-Paced E-Learning
Self-Paced Instruction
Self-Paced Virtual Class
Self-Pacing Biology Experiences
self-parodies
Self-parody
Self-partiality
self-perception
Self-Perception Profile for College Students
Self-Perception Profiles for Adolescents
Self-perception theory
Self-Perfecting
self-perpetuating
self-perpetuation
Self-perplexed
Self-phase modulation
Self-phase modulation
Self-Pinched Electron Beam Diode

self-pity

self-pitying
self-pityingly
self-poised
self-poisoning
Self-policing
self-pollinate
self-pollinate
self-pollinated
self-pollinated
self-pollinating
self-pollinating
self-pollination
self-pollination
self-pollinator
self-pollinator
self-pollinators
self-pollinators
self-portrait
self-portrait
self-portrait
self-portraits
self-portraits
Self-portraiture
Self-portraiture
Self-posited
Self-positing
self-possessed
self-possessed
self-possession
self-possession

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self-pity