pitiful en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
- /ˈpɪt.ɪ.fl̩/
Etymology
From Middle English pityful, piteful, piteeful. By surface analysis, pit(i) + -ful.
Meanings
-
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.
-
(archaic) Feeling pity; merciful.
Straightway, he now goes on to make a full confession; whereupon the mariners became more and more appalled, but still are pitiful.
1851 November 14, Herman Melville, Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC: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.
c. 1588–1593 (date written), [William Shakespeare], The Most Lamentable Romaine Tragedie of Titus Andronicus: […] (First Quarto), London: […] Iohn Danter, and are to be sold by Edward White & Thomas Millington, […], published 1594, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii], signature D3, verso:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| pitifuller | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| pitifull | alternative, obsolete | lexicographic | |
| pitifullest | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Antonyms
un-pathetic · unpiteous · unrueful · nonpathetic · unpitiable
Deriveds
Hypernyms
Relateds
regretful · pitiable · pity · pitying
Synonyms
lenient · piteous · commiserative · poor · rueful · pitying · safe · snivelly · pitiable · sad · relentful · thin · pitisome · ruthful · meager · pitiful · pitisome · mercied · scanty · merciable · paltry · few · ruthful · pitiful · commiserative · ruthful · merciful · clement · piteous · scant · pitiful · sorry-ass · pathetisad · compassionate · pathetic
Translations (56)
de erbärmlich (so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it) · ru жа́лостливый (so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it) · nrf pitchiabl'ye (so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it) · la flēbilis (so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it) · mi whakaaroha (so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it) · ca miserable (of an amount or number: very small) · es lamentoso (so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it) · ru жа́лостный (so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it) · ja 可憐な (so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it) · la miser (so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it) · es achará (so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it) · mi hanga aroha (so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it) · nn arm (so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it) · de kläglich (so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it) · cmn 很少 (of an amount or number: very small) · nb arm (so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it) · yue 慘 /惨 (so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it) · el αξιολύπητος (so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it) · izh poloin (so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it) · de Mitleid erregend (so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it) · cmn 可憐 /可怜 (so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it) · unm këtëmaksi (so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it) · es mísero (so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it) · de jämmerlich (so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it) · cmn 造孽 (so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it) · grc οἰκτρός (so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it) · nv baa hojoobáʼí (so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it) · bg жалък (so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it) · de bemitleidenswert (so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it) · de mitleiderregend (so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it) · ru бе́дненький (so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it) · es penoso (so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it) · es mísero (of an amount or number: very small) · ru жа́лкий (so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it) · uk жа́лісний (so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it) · de kümmerlich (of an amount or number: very small) · hi दयनीय (so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it) · ru ми́зерный (of an amount or number: very small) · fi säälittävä (so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it) · bg клет (so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it) · es lastimoso (so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it) · ru жа́лкий (of an amount or number: very small) · ca lamentable (so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it) · ru ничто́жный (of an amount or number: very small) · fr dérisoire (of an amount or number: very small) · pl żałosny (so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it) · fr pitoyable (so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it) · be жа́ласны (so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it) · es lastimero (so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it) · fi säälittävä (of an amount or number: very small) · de erbarmungswürdig (so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it) · pt lamentável (so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it) · de armselig (of an amount or number: very small) · de bedauernswert (so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it) · nl zielig (so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it) · bg нищожен (of an amount or number: very small)