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Pitiable: meaning, definitions and examples

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pitiable

 

[ ˈpɪtiəbl ]

Adjective
Context #1 | Adjective

feeling sympathy or compassion

Deserving or arousing pity; lamentable or sad.

Synonyms

miserable, pathetic, wretched

Examples of usage

  • Her pitiable situation brought tears to my eyes.
  • The pitiable sight of the starving children touched everyone's hearts.
Context #2 | Adjective

deserving contempt or scorn

Deserving scorn or contempt; contemptible.

Synonyms

contemptible, despicable, shameful

Examples of usage

  • I found his pitiable attempts to impress us quite laughable.
  • The pitiable excuses he made only served to anger his boss.

Translations

Translations of the word "pitiable" in other languages:

🇵🇹 lamentável

🇮🇳 दया योग्य (daya yogya)

🇩🇪 bemitleidenswert

🇮🇩 menyedihkan

🇺🇦 жалісний

🇵🇱 żałosny

🇯🇵 哀れな (aware na)

🇫🇷 pitoyable

🇪🇸 lamentable

🇹🇷 acınacak

🇰🇷 불쌍한 (bulssanghan)

🇸🇦 مثير للشفقة (muthir lilshafaqa)

🇨🇿 politováníhodný

🇸🇰 poľutovaniahodný

🇨🇳 可怜的 (kělián de)

🇸🇮 vreden usmiljenja

🇮🇸 aumingjalegur

🇰🇿 аянышты

🇬🇪 შესაბრალისი (shesabralisi)

🇦🇿 acınacaqlı

🇲🇽 lamentable

Etymology

The word 'pitiable' originated from the late Middle English word 'pitiable' or 'piteable', derived from the Old French word 'pitiable', based on the Latin word 'pietatem' (piety, pity). The sense 'deserving contempt or scorn' developed in the 16th century.

See also: pitiful, pity.

Word Frequency Rank

Positioned at #21,435, this word is part of extensive vocabulary. It's relatively rare in general usage but may be important in specific fields or formal writing.