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armselig
pathetic
Pitiful, miserable, or of very poor quality, so that it evokes pity or even contempt.
example
Er machte eine armselige Figur, als er um Verzeihung bat.
He cut a pathetic figure when he asked for forgiveness.
armselig
pathetic / wretched
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word structure
The word is made up of 'arm' (poor) and 'selig' (blessed). However, the meaning is not 'happy through poverty', but has developed into 'jämmerlich' (miserable) or 'erbärmlich' (pathetic). The ending '-selig' functions here more like an old suffix.
EXAMPLE
Das war ein armseliger Versuch, die Situation zu retten.
That was a pathetic attempt to save the situation.
Typical collocations
In its modern, most common meaning, 'armselig' (pathetic) often describes abstract things and expresses contempt. Typical combinations are 'eine armselige Ausrede' (a pathetic excuse), 'ein armseliger Betrag' (a pathetic amount), or 'eine armselige Vorstellung' (a pathetic performance).
EXAMPLE
Für all die Arbeit bot er mir nur eine armselige Bezahlung an.
For all the work, he offered me only pathetic pay.
Strong negative emotion
'Armselig' (pathetic) is a strongly judgmental adjective. It expresses not only poor quality, but also pity or contempt for the person or thing being described this way.
EXAMPLE
Nach seiner Niederlage machte er einen armseligen Eindruck.
After his defeat, he made a pathetic impression.
Outdated register
The literal meaning 'very poor' is rare today and sounds outdated or literary. You find it mainly in older texts or when a poetic style is being used.
EXAMPLE
In dem Roman wird das armselige Leben der Bauern im 19. Jahrhundert beschrieben.
The novel describes the wretched life of farmers in the 19th century.
Compare with
armselig vs reich
rich
'reich' and 'armselig' can form an opposite in the area of money and living conditions. 'reich' means that someone has a great deal of money or property. 'armselig' can mean that something or someone is strongly marked by poverty; however, this meaning sounds somewhat old-fashioned. In modern German, people usually say 'arm' for persons. 'armselig' is also often used judgmentally when something seems very bad or pathetic.
armselig
Die Familie lebte damals in einer armseligen Hütte ohne Heizung.
Back then, the family lived in a wretched hut without heating.
reich
Der Kunde ist reich und besitzt mehrere Häuser in der Stadt.
The customer is rich and owns several houses in the city.
In real life
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