pitiful — [pit′i fəl] adj. 1. arousing or deserving pity 2. deserving contempt; despicable 3. Archaic full of pity or compassion pitifully adv. pitifulness n. SYN. PITIFUL applies to that which arouses or deserves pity because it is sad, pathetic, etc.… … English World dictionary
pitiful — pitifully, adv. pitifulness, n. /pit i feuhl/, adj. 1. evoking or deserving pity: a pitiful fate. 2. evoking or deserving contempt by smallness, poor quality, etc.: pitiful attempts. 3. Archaic. full of pity; compassionate. [1400 50; late ME; see … Universalium
pitiful — pit•i•ful [[t]ˈpɪt ɪ fəl[/t]] adj. 1) evoking or deserving pity: a pitiful fate[/ex] 2) arousing contempt by smallness, poor quality, etc.: pitiful attempts[/ex] 3) archaic full of pity; compassionate • Etymology: 1400–50 pit′i•ful•ly, adv. syn:… … From formal English to slang
pitiful — pitiful, piteous, pitiable are comparable but not always interchangeable when they mean arousing or deserving pity or compassion. Pitiful applies especially to what actually excites pity or, sometimes, commiseration because it is felt to be… … New Dictionary of Synonyms
pitiable, piteous — Pitiable means deserving of pity, producing compassion, or lamentable : These hungry children are pitiable. The destitute family was living in a pitiable shack. Piteous refers to that which excites pity because it is suffering and miserable: The… … Dictionary of problem words and expressions
pitiable — 1 piteous, *pitiful Analogous words: sad, depressed, dejected, melancholy (see corresponding nouns at SADNESS): forlorn, hopeless, despairing, desperate, *despondent 2 despicable, *contemptible, sorry, scurvy, cheap, beggarly, shabby Analogous… … New Dictionary of Synonyms
pitiable — [pit′ē ə bəl] adj. [ME piteable < MFr < pitier: see PITY] arousing or deserving pity, sometimes mixed with scorn or contempt SYN. PITIFUL pitiableness n. pitiably adv … English World dictionary
pitiful — [adj] in bad shape; poor abject, affecting, afflicted, arousing, base, beggarly, cheap, cheerless, comfortless, commiserative, compassionate, contemptible, deplorable, despicable, dismal, distressed, distressing, grievous, heartbreaking,… … New thesaurus
pitiable — , pitiful, pitiless, but piteous … Bryson’s dictionary for writers and editors
pitiable — piteous, pitiable, pitiful All three words are recorded from Middle English and share the basic meaning ‘arousing pity’ and are to some extent interchangeable (as in The abandoned children were a piteous sight), although pitiful is the most… … Modern English usage
