Dictionary

piteous en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˈpɪ.ti.əs/
• (US) audio

Etymology

From Middle English pitous, from Old French piteus, pitus.

Meanings

1. Provoking pity, compassion, or sympathy.
   • As fear chilled him to the bone, he loosed a final piteous groan. 2011, Felix Hagan, “Vengeance On My Mind”, in Dawn Breaks, the Monster Wakes...:
   • […] with his strong arms He fastened on my neck, and bellowed out As he’d burst heaven; threw him on my father; Told the most piteous tale of Lear and him That ever ear receiv’d; c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii]:
   • 1782, Frances Burney, Cecilia, London: T. Payne & Son and T. Cadell, Volume 2, Book 3, Chapter 4, p. 51, […] my strength, madam, is almost all gone away, and when I do any hard work, it’s quite a piteous sight to see me, for I am all in a tremble after it, just as if I had an ague […]
   • In the deep, still darkness of midnight, I have been often aroused by the dead, heavy footsteps and the piteous cries of the chained gangs that passed our door. 1855, Frederick Douglass, My Bondage and My Freedom. […], New York; Auburn, N.Y.: Miller, Orton & Mulligan […], →OCLC:
   • “[…] you go out to beg, first smearing yourself with mud and filth to make yourselves as piteous as you can.” 1931, Pearl S. Buck, chapter 11, in The Good Earth, New York: Modern Library, published 1944, pages 80–81:
2. (obsolete) Showing devotion to God.
   • For the Lord kan delyuere piteuouse men fro temptacioun, and kepe wickid men in to the dai of dom to be turmentid; c. 1382–1395, John Wycliffe [et al.], edited by Josiah Forshall and Frederic Madden, The Holy Bible, […], volume (please specify |volume=I, II, III, or IV), Oxford: At the University Press, published 1850, →OCLC, II. Peter 2:9:
3. (obsolete) Showing compassion.
   • Thine eye begins to speak; set thy tongue there; Or in thy piteous heart plant thou thine ear; That hearing how our plaints and prayers do pierce, Pity may move thee ‘pardon’ to rehearse. 1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene 3]:
   • Or have they soft piteous eyes beheld The weary wanderer thro’ the desert rove? Or does th’ afflicted man thy heavenly bosom move? 1783, William Blake, “An Imitation of Spenser”, in Poetical Sketches, London: Basil Montagu Pickering, published 1868, page 37:
   • With that the Goddess (piteous of his case, Yet smiling at his ruful length of face) Gives him a cov’ring, 1728, [Alexander Pope], “Book the Second”, in The Dunciad. An Heroic Poem. […], Dublin; London: […] A. Dodd, →OCLC, page 21:
   • The water Nymphs that in the bottome playd Held up their pearled wrists and tooke her in, Bearing her straite to aged Nereus hall Who piteous of her woes rea[r’]d her lanke head, And gave her to his daughters to imbathe In nectar’d lavers strewd with asphodil, 1634 October 9 (first performance; Gregorian calendar), [John Milton], edited by H[enry] Lawes, A Maske Presented at Ludlow Castle, 1634: […] [Comus], London: […] [Augustine Matthews] for Hvmphrey Robinson, […], published 1637, →OCLC; reprinted as Comus: […] (Dodd, Mead & Company’s Facsimile Reprints of Rare Books; Literature Series; no. I), New York, N.Y.: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1903, →OCLC, page 29:
4. (obsolete) Of little importance or value.
   • […] calling to minde with heed Part of our Sentence, that thy Seed shall bruise The Serpents head; piteous amends, unless Be meant, whom I conjecture, our grand Foe Satan, 1667, John Milton, “Book IX”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 1030-1034:
   • […] my Business was now to try if I could not make Jackets out of the great Watch-Coats which I had by me, and with such other Materials as I had, so I set to Work a Taylering, or rather indeed a Botching, for I made most piteous Work of it. 1719 May 6 (Gregorian calendar), [Daniel Defoe], The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, […], London: […] W[illiam] Taylor […], →OCLC, pages 158-159:

Forms

Deriveds

unpiteous · piteousness

Relateds

piteously · dispiteous · pitisome · pitiable · impiteous · pitiful

Synonyms

trifling · practicing · negligible · heavenly-minded · devoutful · pathetic · meager · null · Allah-fearing · rueful · insignificant · sorry-ass · piddling · piteous · mean · godfearing · pathetic · ruthful · nothingburger · devout · piddly · piteous · pathetisad · vain · mean · contemptible · pitiful · wretched · two-bit · pitiful · poor · unweighty · heartrending · pious · minor · pathetic · sanctimonious · slight · ignorable · frivolous · silly · devout · lamentable · paltry · floccinaucinihilipilificatious · pitiable · paltry · indifferent · inconsiderable · heartbreaking · pitisome · nondescript · miserable · simple · tender · inconsequential · compassionate · petty · sad · for the birds · pitiful · pitiful · pious · compassionate · inward · idle · pissant · worthless · pointless · religionary · ticky-tacky · miserable · observant · futile · foolish · picayune · trivial · picayunish · pissass · piteous · immaterial · sainted · like a fart in a windstorm · base · frum · snivelly · tin-pot · godly · unimportant

Translations (13)

ga truacánta (pitiful) · cs žalostný (pitiful) · eo kompatinda (pitiful) · ru жа́лкий (pitiful) · bg плачевен (pitiful) · mk жален (pitiful) · mk живожален (pitiful) · es lamentable (pitiful) · fi säälittävä (pitiful) · bg жалък (pitiful) · br truezus (pitiful) · fi surkea (pitiful) · fr pitoyable (pitiful)