pitiable

American  

[pit-ee-uh-buhl] / ˈpɪt i ə bəl /

adjective

1. evoking or deserving pity; lamentable.

   pitiable homeless pets.

2. evoking or deserving contemptuous pity; miserable; contemptible.

   a pitiable lack of character.

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pitiable British  

/ ˈpɪtɪəbəl /

adjective

1. exciting or deserving pity or contempt

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Related Words

See pitiful.

Other Word Forms

• pitiableness noun
• pitiably adverb
• unpitiable adjective
• unpitiably adverb

Etymology

Origin of pitiable

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Old French piteable, equivalent to pite(er) “to pity” + -able adjective suffix; pity, -able

Explanation

Pitiable describes something that's pathetic or miserable. After learning about the pitiable conditions of schools in parts of rural India, you might decide to donate supplies to them. Just looking at pitiable gives you clues to its meaning. Pity is a feeling of sorrow for someone or something else, so something that's pitiable is worthy of pity. There's often a little bit of scorn thrown in, like the pitiable amount of cereal your stingy grandmother pours in your bowl at breakfast. In this case, there's some blame cast on the grandmother because she chooses to give so little cereal.

Example Sentences

Nobody cheers for Goneril and Regan as they wreak destruction on their pitiable father.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026

As his tweet demonstrates, it's often too pitiable to warrant a word as powerful as "toxic."

From Salon • Sep. 12, 2024

So, let’s quickly run down some of the most hypocritical actors in this whole display, and check out their pitiable explanations.

From Slate • Apr. 27, 2024

It’s a sign of independence and commitment to her vocation rather than a pitiable condition.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 12, 2023

Jason wondered if Apollo had assumed this form to be inconspicuous, or to look pitiable to his father.

From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan