Standard Lemma guide

self-pity

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A feeling of pity for oneself.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Examples

  • I was sitting in my room, wallowing in self pity, when my favorite TV program came on.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

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

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: sorrow

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *swé? Proto-Indo-European *selbh-der. Proto-Germanic *selbaz Old English self Old English self- Middle English self- English self- English pity English self-pity From self- + pity.

Across languages

Translations

26 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: самосъжаление (samosǎžalenie) — feeling of pity for oneself
  • Chinese Mandarin: 自憐 /自怜 (zìlián) — feeling of pity for oneself
  • Czech: sebelítost — feeling of pity for oneself
  • Czech: bolestínství — feeling of pity for oneself
  • Danish: selvmedlidenhed — feeling of pity for oneself
  • Dutch: zelfbeklag — feeling of pity for oneself
  • Dutch: zelfmedelijden — feeling of pity for oneself
  • Finnish: itsesääli — feeling of pity for oneself
  • French: apitoiement sur soi-même — feeling of pity for oneself
  • French: autoapitoiement — feeling of pity for oneself
  • French: auto-apitoiement — feeling of pity for oneself
  • German: Selbstmitleid — feeling of pity for oneself
  • Greek: αυτολύπηση (aftolýpisi) — feeling of pity for oneself
  • Hungarian: önsajnálat — feeling of pity for oneself
  • Icelandic: sjálfsvorkunn — feeling of pity for oneself
  • Icelandic: sjálfsmeðaumkun — feeling of pity for oneself
  • Italian: autocommiserazione — feeling of pity for oneself
  • Macedonian: самосожалување (samosožaluvanje) — feeling of pity for oneself
  • Portuguese: autocomiseração — feeling of pity for oneself
  • Romanian: autocompătimire — feeling of pity for oneself
  • Russian: жа́лость к себе́ (sebé) — feeling of pity for oneself
  • Spanish: autoconmiseración — feeling of pity for oneself
  • Spanish: autocompasión — feeling of pity for oneself
  • Spanish: autolástima — feeling of pity for oneself
  • Spanish: autoindulgencia — feeling of pity for oneself
  • Swedish: självömkan — feeling of pity for oneself