pitying

American

[pit-ee-ing] / ˈpɪt i ɪŋ /

adjective

full of or expressing pity.

a pitying look.

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of pitying

First recorded in 1640–50; pity + -ing ²

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.

See Examples For:

pitying

“The waits are insane,” he said, pitying people who had only a day in the park and were hoping to hit all of the highlights by bus.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 18, 2026

It elicited pitying sighs from Labour's enlarged cohort of MPs, struggling to fit on the green benches on the government side of the House of Commons.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2024

Josh: In our quest to become better recyclers, Melissa, I found myself pitying the ephemeral life of a pizza box.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 19, 2024

When someone is pitying, that's the end of the conversation for me.

From Salon ● Nov. 15, 2021

Now his snoozing became shallower as he heard a man and a woman speaking German in pitying tones.

From "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023