to-wallow-in-self-pity
/tə ˈwɒl.əʊ ɪn sɛlf ˈpɪt.i/ IELTSAcademic
phrase
To spend too much time feeling sorry for yourself. It often suggests that the person is staying with unhappy feelings instead of trying to recover or act.
- Don't wallow in self-pity after one bad result.
- She wallowed in self-pity for days.
- He refused to wallow in self-pity.
Adinary Nuance
To wallow in self-pity is stronger than just feeling sad. It suggests you keep feeding the feeling and do not move on. Writers use it when they want to criticize emotional passivity, not simple hurt or disappointment.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- đắm chìm trong nỗi tội nghiệp bản thân
- Spanish
- regodearse en la autocompasión
- Chinese
- 沉溺于自怜
- Japanese
- 自己憐憫に浸る
- Korean
- 자기 연민에 빠지다
Etymology
Wallow comes from Old English wealwian, meaning to roll or move about. The phrase self-pity appeared later in Modern English, and the full expression became common as a strong criticism of sad, passive behaviour.
Common phrases
wallow in self-pitystop wallowing in self-pitya spell of self-pity
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is "wallow in self-pity" formal or informal?
- It is fairly informal, but it also appears in writing and speeches.
- Is it rude to say someone is wallowing in self-pity?
- Yes, it can sound critical or judgmental.
- What is the difference between "sad" and "wallow in self-pity"?
- "Sad" is neutral. "Wallow in self-pity" means you keep focusing on your pain.