pitiable

[ pit-ee-uh-buhl ]

/ ˈpɪt i ə bəl /

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See synonyms for: pitiable / pitiableness on Thesaurus.com

adjective

evoking or deserving pity; lamentable: pitiable homeless pets.

evoking or deserving contemptuous pity; miserable; contemptible: a pitiable lack of character.

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Origin of pitiable

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

synonym study for pitiable

1, 2. See pitiful.

OTHER WORDS FROM pitiable

pit·i·a·ble·ness, nounpit·i·a·bly, adverbun·pit·i·a·ble, adjectiveun·pit·i·a·bly, adverb

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH pitiable

piteous, pitiable , pitiful (see synonym study at pitiful)

Words nearby pitiable

pith helmet, Pithom, pithos, pith ray, pithy, pitiable, pitier, pitiful, pitiless, Pitjantjatjara, pitman

How to use pitiable in a sentence

Maybe he had taken pity on me, doing a charitable deed by showing affection to a pitiable fat girl.
Such a pretty face|Aubrey Gordon|February 26, 2021|Vox
Syrians are being massacred nearly every day, and sending out pitiable cries for help.
How the U.S. Is Struggling to Help Syria’s Opposition|Tara McKelvey|February 11, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The pitiable last photo of the naked megastar projected into the courtroom as Rogers testified is unforgettable.
The Fight Over Jackson's Health|Diane Dimond|October 12, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Amy is, at most, a pitiable woman trapped in a marriage that she has no idea how to fix.
The Power of 'Straw Dogs'|Malcolm Jones|September 19, 2011|DAILY BEAST

All around us, pundits spend their time bemoaning the pitiable state of men.
Are Men So Badly Off?|Leslie Bennetts|September 16, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Eerie orange cones captured in an aerial photograph will show each precise spot where a part of this pitiable child came to rest.
The Case Against Casey|Diane Dimond|May 22, 2011|DAILY BEAST
A very few weeks flew over the head of the needy man, before he was reduced to the same pitiable straits.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
He cursed himself inwardly for a fool and a dolt—the more pitiable because he accounted himself cunning above others.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
This loss, more than anything else, brought home to the monarch his pitiable condition.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
Surely this pitiable case ought to be brought to the attention of the Actors' Benevolent Association.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 158, April 28, 1920|Various
His eyes were fixed and staring, and his face deadly pale, presenting altogether a most pitiable and wretched spectacle.
A Woman's Journey Round the World|Ida Pfeiffer

British Dictionary definitions for pitiable

pitiable

/ (ˈpɪtɪəbəl) /

adjective

exciting or deserving pity or contempt

Derived forms of pitiable

pitiableness, nounpitiably, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

pitiable

Origin of pitiable

synonym study for pitiable

OTHER WORDS FROM pitiable

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH pitiable

Words nearby pitiable

Words related to pitiable

How to use pitiable in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pitiable

Derived forms of pitiable