pity

American  

[pit-ee] / ˈpɪt i /

noun

plural

pities

1. 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 a starving child.

   Synonyms:

   compassion, commiseration

2. a cause or reason for pity, sorrow, or regret.

   What a pity you could not go!

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adjective

1. motivated by a sense of pity or sympathy for others or for oneself.

   It seems he got the pity vote because of his personality, but his singing just wasn’t that great.

verb (used with object)

pitied, pitying

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

verb (used without object)

pitied, pitying

1. to have compassion; feel pity.

idioms

1. have / take pity, to show mercy or compassion.

pity British  

/ ˈpɪtɪ /

noun

1. sympathy or sorrow felt for the sufferings of another

2. to have sympathy or show mercy for

3. something that causes regret or pity

4. an unfortunate chance

   what a pity you can't come

5. it is highly regrettable (that)

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verb

1. (tr) to feel pity for

pity More Idioms  

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

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Related Words

See sympathy .

Other Word Forms

• outpity verb (used with object)
• pitying adjective
• pityingly adverb
• unpitied adjective

Etymology

Origin of pity

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English pite, from Old French pite, earlier pitet, from Latin pietāt- (stem of pietās “dutiful respect, sense of duty”); piety

Example Sentences

It’s a pity that the rest of us have to be along for the ride.

From Salon • Mar. 14, 2026

I actually pity other drivers on the road—and I pity myself, when I’m relegated to our gas-powered vehicle.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

One thing Welsh rugby does not want is pity or derision.

From BBC • Mar. 6, 2026

“I’m not suggesting anyone pity the poor rich. But as the ‘affordability’ debate bubbles on, it’s remarkable how far up the income bracket you can go and still feel squeezed,” says Zagare.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 16, 2026

It was a pity that we had not some better organised plan of attack, for even at the moment I wondered what we were to do.

From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker

Related Words

• compassion
• condolence
• empathy
• kindness
• melancholy
• mercy
• sadness
• sorrow
• sympathy
• tenderness
• warmth