pitiful

[pit-i-fuhl]

adjective

1. evoking or deserving pity.

   a pitiful fate.

   Synonyms: pathetic, woeful, deplorable, lamentable
   Antonyms: delightful

2. evoking or deserving contempt by smallness, poor quality, etc..

   pitiful attempts.

   Synonyms: despicable, vile, base, low, mean, deplorable
   Antonyms: honorable

3. Archaic.,  full of pity; compassionate.

pitiful

/ ˈpɪtɪfʊl /

adjective

1. arousing or deserving pity

2. arousing or deserving contempt

3. archaic,  full of pity or compassion

Other Word Forms

• pitifully adverb
• pitifulness noun
• self-pitiful adjective
• self-pitifully adverb
• self-pitifulness noun
• unpitiful adjective
• unpitifully adverb
• unpitifulness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of pitiful¹

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; pity, -ful

Synonym Study

Pitiful, pitiable, piteous apply to that which excites pity (with compassion or with contempt). That which is pitiful is touching and excites pity or is mean and contemptible: a pitiful leper; a pitiful exhibition of cowardice. Pitiable may mean lamentable, or wretched and paltry: a pitiable hovel. Piteous refers only to that which exhibits suffering and misery, and is therefore heart-rending: piteous poverty.

Example Sentences

Do we really want to incentivize vigilantes like YouTube copycat Skeet Hansen, seen in the documentary machinating and uploading his own stakeouts, pitiful farces of justice with the catchphrase “You’ve just been Skeeted”?

Read more on Los Angeles Times

She also said the cemetery was left in a pitiful condition, with bottles and cans left lying around.

Read more on BBC

"We came and found children and women torn apart. It was a pitiful sight," he said.

Read more on BBC

Whatever it was on his mind, it can't have been pretty, like Amorim's answer as the United head coach thrashed about looking to explain another pitiful display in a season he promised would be better.

Read more on BBC

Single women are confronted with it most frequently, but even people in relationships may experience some stranger’s pitiful regard while dining alone in public.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• dismal 
• distressing www.thesaurus.com
• insignificant 
• lamentable 
• miserable 
• paltry 
• pathetic 
• sad 
• shabby 
• sorry 
• touching 
• woeful 
• wretched