pitiable

[ pit-ee-uh-buhl ]
See synonyms for: pitiablepitiableness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. evoking or deserving pity; lamentable: pitiable homeless pets.

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

Origin of pitiable

1
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, noun
  • pit·i·a·bly, adverb
  • un·pit·i·a·ble, adjective
  • un·pit·i·a·bly, adverb

Words that may be confused with pitiable

Words Nearby pitiable

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use pitiable in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pitiable

pitiable

/ (ˈpɪtɪəbəl) /


adjective
  1. exciting or deserving pity or contempt

Derived forms of pitiable

  • pitiableness, noun
  • pitiably, 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