PITEOUS

hapless, miserable, misfortunate, pathetic, piteous, pitiable, pitiful, poor, wretched

(adjective) deserving or inciting pity; ā€œa hapless victimā€; ā€œmiserable victims of warā€; ā€œthe shabby room struck her as extraordinarily patheticā€- Galsworthy; ā€œpiteous appeals for helpā€; ā€œpitiable homeless childrenā€; ā€œa pitiful fateā€; ā€œOh, you poor thingā€; ā€œhis poor distorted limbsā€; ā€œa wretched lifeā€

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Adjective

piteous (comparative more piteous, superlative most piteous)

Provoking pity, compassion, or sympathy.

Synonyms: heartbreaking, heartrending, lamentable, pathetic, pitiful

(obsolete) Showing devotion to God.

Synonyms: devout, pious

(obsolete) Showing compassion.

Synonyms: compassionate, tender

(obsolete) Of little importance or value.

Synonyms: miserable, paltry, pathetic, mean, pitiful

Anagrams

• poustie

Source: Wiktionary


Pit"e*ous, a. Etym: [OE. pitous, OF. pitos, F. piteux. See Pity.]

1. Pious; devout. [Obs.] The Lord can deliver piteous men from temptation. Wyclif.

2. Evincing pity, compassion, or sympathy; compassionate; tender. "[She] piteous of his case." Pope. She was so charitable and so pitous. Chaucer.

3. Fitted to excite pity or sympathy; wretched; miserable; lamentable; sad; as, a piteous case. Spenser. The most piteous tale of Lear. Shak.

4. Paltry; mean; pitiful. "Piteous amends." Milton.

Syn.

– Sorrowful; mournful; affecting; doleful; woeful; rueful; sad; wretched; miserable; pitiable; pitiful; compassionate.

– Pit"e*ous*ly, adv.

– Pit"e*ous*ness, n.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

29 March 2025

THOUGHTLESS

(adjective) without care or thought for others; ā€œthe thoughtless saying of a great princess on being informed that the people had no bread; ā€˜Let them eat cakeā€™ā€


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