Pitiful: meaning, definitions and examples
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pitiful
[ ˈpɪtɪfʊl ]
feeling or expressing sorrow or sympathy
Deserving or arousing pity; lamentable. Full of or evoking pity; deserving of compassion; sad, pitiable. Arousing or deserving of compassion or scorn; pathetic. Expressing or arousing pity; pathetic.
Synonyms
miserable, pathetic, poor, sad, woeful
Examples of usage
- He looked so pitiful that I couldn't help but feel sorry for him.
- The sight of the abandoned puppy was truly pitiful.
- She gave me a pitiful look, hoping I would change my mind.
insufficient or lacking in quality
Pathetically lacking in force or effectiveness. Contemptibly small in amount. Worthy of contempt; despicable. Contemptible; mean-spirited.
Synonyms
contemptible, miserable, paltry, pathetic, shameful
Examples of usage
- The performance was pitiful, with barely any effort put into it.
- The amount of money offered was pitiful compared to what was expected.
- His pitiful attempt to cover up the mistake only made things worse.
Translations
Translations of the word "pitiful" in other languages:
🇵🇹 lamentável
- lastimável
- patético
🇮🇳 दया का पात्र
- करुणाजनक
- दयनीय
🇩🇪 erbärmlich
- mitleiderregend
- jämmerlich
🇮🇩 menyedihkan
- kasihan
- menyedihkan
🇺🇦 жалюгідний
- сумний
- нікчемний
🇵🇱 żałosny
- godny pożałowania
- nędzny
🇯🇵 哀れな
- 情けない
- みじめな
🇫🇷 piteux
- lamentable
- pathétique
🇪🇸 lamentable
- patético
- lastimoso
🇹🇷 acınası
- zavallı
- sefil
🇰🇷 한심한
- 불쌍한
- 비참한
🇸🇦 مثير للشفقة
- بائس
- يرثى له
🇨🇿 ubohý
- politováníhodný
- žalostný
🇸🇰 úbohý
- poľutovaniahodný
- žalostný
🇨🇳 可怜的
- 悲惨的
- 可悲的
🇸🇮 ubog
- žalosten
- patetičen
🇮🇸 vesæll
- aumkunarverður
- aumur
🇰🇿 аянышты
- мұңды
- бейшара
🇬🇪 სამწუხარო
- სევდიანი
- საცოდავი
🇦🇿 ağlar günə qalmış
- yazıq
- rəzil
🇲🇽 lamentable
- patético
- lastimoso
Word origin
The word 'pitiful' originated from the Middle English word 'pitous', which came from the Old French 'piteux' meaning 'compassionate' or 'pious'. Over time, the meaning shifted to convey a sense of sorrow, sympathy, or inadequacy. The term has been used in English literature for centuries to describe situations or individuals that evoke feelings of pity or sadness.