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

Example Sentences

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

From Salon

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

From Los Angeles Times

They both have a lot riding on this journey, which they’ve come to believe is their last chance to wring some meaning out of lives other people see as pitiable.

From Los Angeles Times

He invites anyone who regards him as “sad or pitiable” to leave.

From New York Times

That a penny dreadful character originally meant just to shock and sicken becomes instead a pitiable victim is a testament to the power of music to make bad guys, if not good, compelling.

From New York Times