pity

[pit-ee]

See more synonyms for pity on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural pit·ies.

sympathetic or kindly sorrow evoked by the suffering, distress, or misfortune of another, often leading one to give relief or aid or to show mercy: to feel pity for astarving child.
a cause or reason for pity, sorrow, or regret: What a pity you could not go!

adjective

Informal. motivated by a sense of pity or sympathy for others or for oneself: to have pity sex with a virgin; to go on a pity date with a loser.

verb (used with object), pit·ied, pit·y·ing.

to feel pity or compassion for; be sorry for; commiserate with.

verb (used without object), pit·ied, pit·y·ing.

to have compassion; feel pity.

Idioms

have/take pity, to show mercy or compassion.

Origin of pity

1175–1225; Middle English pite < Old French pite, earlier pitet < Latin pietāt- (stem of pietās) piety

Related formsout·pit·y, verb (used with object), out·pit·ied, out·pit·y·ing.un·pit·ied, adjective

Synonyms

See more synonyms for pity on Thesaurus.com

1. commiseration, compassion. See sympathy.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for pity

Contemporary Examples

Lady Rose is also rather subdued in the premiere, which is a pity.
What Downton’s Fashion Really Means
Katie Baker
January 2, 2015
It is not a pity party when you can stand up and say, “I am,” to be counted, reaffirmed, human.
I Was Gang Raped at a UVA Frat 30 Years Ago, and No One Did Anything
Liz Seccuro
December 16, 2014
Africa was supposedly a place to avoid or, at best, an oddity to pity.
How I Got Addicted to Africa (and Wrote a Thriller About It)
Todd Moss
September 9, 2014
It would have been easy to pity—and forget—the women that Davis played: ordinary, working class, and unromantic.
Ann B. Davis Was the Zesty Antidote to the Bradys
Emily Shire
June 2, 2014
A creature deserving of pity and a medical diagnosis that will grant them a special status in society.
Surviving War Doesn’t Turn All Veterans into Victims, Sometimes it Helps Them Grow
David Morris
May 18, 2014

Historical Examples

It's a pity you ain't got some one to shut down on you that way.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
"It is a pity some of his friends were not here," said the captain of the ship that had rescued him.
Brave and Bold
Horatio Alger
It has been said that unsettled questions have no pity for the repose of nations.
United States Presidents' Inaugural Speeches
Various
This we too well know you can, and have done—more is the shame and the pity!
Clarissa, Volume 1 (of 9)
Samuel Richardson
It were a pity, if all this outcry should draw no customers.
A Rill from the Town Pump (From "Twice Told Tales")
Nathaniel Hawthorne

British Dictionary definitions for pity

pity

noun plural pities

sympathy or sorrow felt for the sufferings of another
have pity on or take pity on to have sympathy or show mercy for
something that causes regret or pity
an unfortunate chancewhat a pity you can't come
more's the pity it is highly regrettable (that)

verb pities, pitying or pitied

(tr) to feel pity for

Derived Formspitying, adjectivepityingly, adverb

Word Origin

C13: from Old French pité, from Latin pietās duty

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

Word Origin and History for pity

n.

early 13c., from Old French pite, pitet "pity, mercy, compassion, care, tenderness; pitiful state, wretched condition" (11c., Modern French pitié), from Latin pietatem (nominative pietas) "piety, loyalty, duty" (see piety). Replaced Old English mildheortness, literally "mild-heartness," itself a loan-translation of Latin misericordia. English pity and piety were not fully distinguished until 17c. Transferred sense of "grounds or cause for pity" is from late 14c.

v.

"to feel pity for," late 15c., from Old French pitier and from pity (n.). Related: Pitied; pitying.

Idioms and Phrases with pity

pity

see for one's (pity's) sake; take pity on.

pity

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}pity

Synonyms

Examples from the Web for pity

Contemporary Examples

Lady Rose is also rather subdued in the premiere, which is a pity.

It is not a pity party when you can stand up and say, “I am,” to be counted, reaffirmed, human.

Africa was supposedly a place to avoid or, at best, an oddity to pity.

It would have been easy to pity—and forget—the women that Davis played: ordinary, working class, and unromantic.

A creature deserving of pity and a medical diagnosis that will grant them a special status in society.

Historical Examples

It's a pity you ain't got some one to shut down on you that way.

"It is a pity some of his friends were not here," said the captain of the ship that had rescued him.

It has been said that unsettled questions have no pity for the repose of nations.

This we too well know you can, and have done—more is the shame and the pity!

It were a pity, if all this outcry should draw no customers.

pity

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for pity

n.

v.

Idioms and Phrases with pity

pity

Origin of pity