PITIFUL

pathetic, pitiable, pitiful

(adjective) inspiring mixed contempt and pity; “their efforts were pathetic”; “pitiable lack of character”; “pitiful exhibition of cowardice”

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

(adjective) deserving or inciting pity; “a hapless victim”; “miserable victims of war”; “the shabby room struck her as extraordinarily pathetic”- Galsworthy; “piteous appeals for help”; “pitiable homeless children”; “a pitiful fate”; “Oh, you poor thing”; “his poor distorted limbs”; “a wretched life”

deplorable, distressing, lamentable, pitiful, sad, sorry

(adjective) bad; unfortunate; “my finances were in a deplorable state”; “a lamentable decision”; “her clothes were in sad shape”; “a sorry state of affairs”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Adjective

pitiful (comparative pitifuller, )

(now rare) Feeling pity; merciful.

So appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it; eliciting pity.

Synonym: Thesaurus:lamentable

Of an amount or number: very small.

Adverb

pitiful (comparative more pitiful, superlative most pitiful)

(colloquial, dialect) In a pitiful manner; pitifully; piteously; pathetically.

Source: Wiktionary


Pit"i*ful, a.

1. Full of pity; tender-hearted; compassionate; kind; merciful; sympathetic. The Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. James v. 11.

2. Piteous; lamentable; eliciting compassion. A thing, indeed, very pitiful and horrible. Spenser.

3. To be pitied for littleness or meanness; miserable; paltry; contemptible; despicable. That's villainous, and shows a most pitiful ambition in the fool that uses it. Shak.

Syn.

– Despicable; mean; paltry. See Contemptible.

– Pit"i*ful*ly, adv.

– Pit"i*ful*ness, n.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

25 November 2024

ONCHOCERCIASIS

(noun) infestation with slender threadlike roundworms (filaria) deposited under the skin by the bite of black fleas; when the eyes are involved it can result in blindness; common in Africa and tropical America


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Coffee Trivia

The word “coffee” entered the English language in 1582 via the Dutch “koffie,” borrowed from the Ottoman Turkish “kahve,” borrowed in turn from the Arabic “qahwah.” The Arabic word qahwah was traditionally held to refer to a type of wine.

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