self-pity
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self-pity
The feeling of pity for oneself, often perceived as exaggerated or passive. It describes the state of feeling sorry for oneself and wallowing in one's own suffering.
Anstatt in Selbstmitleid zu versinken, solltest du aktiv nach einer Lösung suchen.
Instead of sinking into self-pity, you should actively look for a solution.
The word is a clear compound made up of 'Selbst-' (self-) and 'Mitleid' (pity). So it literally means 'pity for oneself', which makes the meaning very transparent.
Sein Selbstmitleid war für seine Freunde nur schwer zu ertragen.
His self-pity was hard for his friends to bear.
'Selbstmitleid' (self-pity) is often combined with verbs that describe passively sinking into something. Typical phrases are 'in Selbstmitleid versinken' (to sink into self-pity), 'sich in Selbstmitleid suhlen' (to wallow in self-pity), or 'in Selbstmitleid zerfließen' (to dissolve into self-pity).
Nach der Trennung versank er wochenlang in Selbstmitleid.
After the breakup, he sank into self-pity for weeks.
This word almost always has a negative meaning. It implies that the person is exaggerating their suffering and passively giving in to their fate instead of looking for a solution.
Ihre ständigen Klagen klangen für mich nur nach Selbstmitleid.
Her constant complaints sounded to me like nothing but self-pity.
pity / compassion
'Mitleid' and 'Selbstmitleid' both have to do with suffering and compassion. The important difference is the direction of the feeling. 'Mitleid' is directed toward another person: you feel for them because they are doing badly. 'Selbstmitleid' is directed toward yourself: you feel sorry for yourself, often in a way that seems passive or exaggerated. Learners may confuse the words because both contain 'Mitleid'. A practical guide: you have 'Mitleid' with others; you sink into 'Selbstmitleid' with yourself.
Nach der schlechten Note blieb Tom den ganzen Abend in seinem Selbstmitleid hängen.
After the bad grade, Tom stayed stuck in his self-pity all evening.
Im Krankenhaus zeigte die Ärztin viel Mitleid mit dem verletzten Kind.
In the hospital, the doctor showed a lot of compassion for the injured child.