Standard Lemma guide

piteous

adj · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

adj

Meaning 1

Provoking pity, compassion, or sympathy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • 1782, Frances Burney, Cecilia, London: T. Payne & Son and T. Cadell, Volume 2, Book 3, Chapter 4, p. 51, [...] my strength, madam, is almost all gone away, and when I do any hard work, it’s quite a piteous sight to see me, for I am all in a tremble after it, just as if I had an ague [...]

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: heartbreaking, heartrending, lamentable, pathetic, pitiful, compassionate, pathetisad, piteous, pitiable, pitisome, poor, rueful, ruthful, snivelly, sorry-ass

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Showing devotion to God.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: devout, pious, Allah-fearing, devoutful, frum, godfearing, heavenly-minded, inward, godly, observant, piteous, practicing, religionary, sainted, sanctimonious

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Showing compassion.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: compassionate, tender

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Of little importance or value.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: miserable, paltry, pathetic, mean, pitiful, base, contemptible, floccinaucinihilipilificatious, foolish, for the birds, futile, frivolous, idle, ignorable, immaterial, inconsequential, inconsiderable, indifferent, insignificant, like a fart in a windstorm, meager, minor, negligible, nothingburger, nondescript, null, petty, picayune, picayunish, piddling, piddly, pissant, pissass, piteous, pointless, silly, simple, slight, ticky-tacky, tin-pot, trifling, trivial, two-bit, unimportant, unweighty, vain, worthless, wretched

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

deserving or inciting pity- Galsworthy

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a hapless victim
  • miserable victims of war
  • the shabby room struck her as extraordinarily pathetic
  • piteous appeals for help
  • pitiable homeless children
  • a pitiful fate
  • Oh, you poor thing
  • his poor distorted limbs
  • a wretched life

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: hapless, miserable, misfortunate, pathetic, pitiable, pitiful, poor, wretched

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle English pitous, from Old French piteus, pitus.

Across languages

Translations

13 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Breton: truezus — pitiful
  • Bulgarian: жалък (žalǎk) — pitiful
  • Bulgarian: плачевен (plačeven) — pitiful
  • Czech: žalostný — pitiful
  • Esperanto: kompatinda — pitiful
  • Finnish: säälittävä — pitiful
  • Finnish: surkea — pitiful
  • French: pitoyable — pitiful
  • Irish: truacánta — pitiful
  • Macedonian: жален (žalen) — pitiful
  • Macedonian: живожален (živožalen) — pitiful
  • Russian: жа́лкий (žálkij) — pitiful
  • Spanish: lamentable — pitiful