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
Etymology
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.