pity
Americannoun
-
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
-
a cause or reason for pity, sorrow, or regret.
What a pity you could not go!
adjective
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
idioms
noun
-
sympathy or sorrow felt for the sufferings of another
-
to have sympathy or show mercy for
-
something that causes regret or pity
-
an unfortunate chance
what a pity you can't come
-
it is highly regrettable (that)
verb
Synonym Usage
See sympathy .
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
pitysimple
-
pitiessimple
-
have pitiedperfect
-
has pitiedperfect
-
are pityingprogressive
-
am pityingprogressive
-
is pityingprogressive
-
have been pityingperfect progressive
-
has been pityingperfect progressive
Past
-
pitiedsimple
-
had pitiedperfect
-
was pityingprogressive
-
were pityingprogressive
-
had been pityingperfect progressive
Future
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”); see origin at piety
Explanation
If you feel pity, you feel sympathy for someone else's suffering. A documentary on prisoners who have been wrongfully convicted might make you feel pity for them. Use pity as a noun or a verb. You feel pity for the really bad singer so you try to look attentive, but then you pity yourself for having to suffer through his terrible rendition of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." We also say something is a pity if it's something to be sad about. It's a pity that your computer crashed right after you finished your paper.
Vocabulary lists containing pity
"Everyday Use" by Alice Walker
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"Fine?" Vocabulary from the short story
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"The People Could Fly," Vocabulary from the folk tale
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Pity those in Denmark where Ozempic maker Novo Nordisk’s value once exceeded that country’s economic output.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
Pity as its title character gains health, the film loses its verve.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2025
Despite his rising popularity in the cinema, Kilmer did not abandon the stage, playing Hamlet at the 1988 Colorado Shakespeare Festival, and then Giovanni in a New York production of 'Tis Pity She's a Whore.
From BBC • Apr. 2, 2025
Pity the poor Featheringtons, the garish “Bridgerton” family struggling to socially match their graceful, connected and wealthy namesake neighbors across the street.
From Salon • May 17, 2024
At first, people thought it was another virus, and they were looking for groups like the Coalition of Pity, but it turned out that it was something called Nostalgia Feedback.
From "Feed" by M.T. Anderson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
