pitiful
English · Thesaurus
AI In plain words
Writing a short explanation…
Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
pitiful
- /ˈpɪt.ɪ.fl̩/
Where it comes from
From Middle English pityful, piteful, piteeful. By surface analysis, pit(i) + -ful.
adjective pitifuller · pitifullest · pitifull
- So appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it; eliciting pity. Scotland has a pitiful climate.
- Eliciting contempt.
- Of an amount or number: very small. A pitiful number of students bothered to turn up.
-
Feeling pity; merciful.
Some ſay that Rauens foſter forlorne children, / The vvhilſt their ovvne birds famiſh in their neſts: / Oh be to me though thy hard hart ſay no, / Nothing ſo kinde but ſomething pittifull.
Similar: commiserative, clement, lenient, merciable, mercied, merciful, pitiful, relentful, ruthful, safe, pitying
Similar: compassionate, pathetic, pathetisad, piteous, pitiable, pitiful, pitisome, sad, poor, rueful, ruthful, snivelly, sorry-ass · Opposite: nonpathetic, un-pathetic, unpiteous, unpitiable, unrueful
adverb more pitiful · most pitiful · pitifull
- In a pitiful manner; pitifully; piteously; pathetically. ‘She followed ’em, cryin’ pitiful, to the old boat on the Wall[.]’
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: pitiable, pathetic, piteous, wretched, miserable, lamentable, deplorable, sad, contemptible, misfortunate, distressing, unfortunate, hapless, bad, poor, sorry
adjective
Similar: compassionate, pathetic, pathetisad, piteous, pitiable, pitiful, pitisome, sad, poor, rueful, ruthful, snivelly, sorry-ass · Opposite: nonpathetic, un-pathetic, unpiteous, unpitiable, unrueful
Translations
Every language
adj so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it
| Español | lastimoso, lastimero, penoso, lamentoso, achará, mísero |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 可憐な karen na |
| 中文 | 可憐 /可怜 kělián |
| हिन्दी | दयनीय daynīya |
| Português | lamentável |
| Français | pitoyable |
| Deutsch | erbärmlich, kläglich, jämmerlich, mitleiderregend, bemitleidenswert, bedauernswert |
| Ελληνικά | αξιολύπητος axiolýpitos |
| Русский | жа́лкий žálkij, бе́дненький bédnenʹkij, жа́лостный žálostnyj, жа́лостливый žálostlivyj |
adj of an amount or number: very small
| Español | mísero |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 很少 hěn shǎo |
| Français | dérisoire |
| Deutsch | kümmerlich, armselig |
| Русский | жа́лкий žálkij, ничто́жный ničtóžnyj, ми́зерный mízernyj |
adv in a pitiful manner; pitifully; piteously; pathetically
| Deutsch | mitleidig, mitleidsvoll |
|---|
Talk about this word "pitiful." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/pitiful. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. pitiful. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/pitiful "pitiful." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/pitiful.Cite this
@misc{pitiful_2026,
title = {pitiful},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/pitiful},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
