Synonyms

take pity on

Idioms

Also, have pity on. Show compassion or mercy to, as in Take pity on the cook and eat that last piece of cake, or, as Miles Coverdale's 1535 translation of the Bible has it (Job 19:21), “Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye, my friends.” This idiom may be used half-jokingly, as in the first example, or seriously. [Late 1200s]

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.

I will try to act as young as possible, so maybe they will be kinder & take pity on me.

From Literature

I stepped into the light of the doorway so he would see my monkish robes and maybe take pity on us.

From Literature

I waved my arms at the caravan guards and hoped they would take pity on me.

From Literature

He told BBC Scotland's The Sunday Show: "I am hoping the first minister will take pity on us and give us more money for Angus Council."

From BBC

“I just have to have faith for a miracle to happen and the government to take pity on old people like me.”

From Los Angeles Times

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