pathologically
6
7.4
- adverb
- /ˌpæθəˈlɑdʒɪkli/
- Specialized
- Second, the patronage-dependent politicians from these regions are pathologically pro-government, tending to support virtually any incumbent president and his initiatives.
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Watch on YouTubeThe problem was that a memory contest is a pathologically boring event.
- The problem was that a memory contest is a pathologically boring event.
- In which case anger, let's say, is not going to convince them or they are pathologically evil.
- So for example, I'm pathologically honest to a point that it's suboptimal to be right.
- And much more like pathologically alert of your surroundings and much more harm oriented.
Examples
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We all know some folks who seem pathologically unable to admit ignorance in any area.
Blog text (1) -
Prozac couldn't be, has been, and can be a lifesaver for people who are pathologically depressed.
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I can see why someone might think something is pathologically wrong with him.
Blog text (24) -
I think I'm pathologically happy.
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I mean, I think the thing that was most helpful early on for me in poker was I was just so pathologically competitive.
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The man is pathologically incapable of being pleased.
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You're not crazy, Kevin, you're just pathologically irresponsible.
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Kim Jong-il, Kim Jong-Un's father, was pathologically indifferent to the misery of his people.
Blog text (33) -
Machar was an unlikely candidate for sainthood: gruff, uncommunicative, pathologically intense, frightening even to those he helped.
Fiction book (1995) -
She is pathologically afraid of spiders, avoiding areas where they might be found.
Synonyms
7
7.7
In a very strange and ugly way that feels shocking
5
6.8
In a very cruel and shocking way
How Abnormal
Surface Forms
Morphology
pathologically = pathological (semi-transparent) = pathology + ical + ly
The adverb is formed regularly by adding the productive suffix '-ly' to the adjective 'pathological', a predictable process for learners.
Etymology
Pathologically comes from the Greek root patho- meaning 'suffering' or 'disease', the same root in pathology, the study of disease. So pathologically can mean 'in a way caused by disease' and, by extension, 'in an extreme or abnormal way'.