Standard Lemma guide

pitiful

adj · adv · 8 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈpɪt.ɪ.fl̩/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: P IH1 T AH0 F AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

So appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it; eliciting pity.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Scotland has a pitiful climate.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: piteous, pitisome, ruthful

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Eliciting contempt.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Of an amount or number: very small.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • A pitiful number of students bothered to turn up.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: few, meager, paltry, scant, scanty, thin

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Feeling pity; merciful.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: commiserative, clement, lenient, merciable, mercied, merciful, pitiful, relentful, ruthful, safe, pitying

Antonyms: none provided

5

adv

Meaning 5

In a pitiful manner; pitifully; piteously; pathetically.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: colloquial, dialectal

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective satellite

Meaning 6

inspiring mixed contempt and pity

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • their efforts were pathetic
  • pitiable lack of character
  • pitiful exhibition of cowardice

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: pathetic, pitiable

Antonyms: none provided

7

adjective satellite

Meaning 7

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, piteous, pitiable, poor, wretched

Antonyms: none provided

8

adjective satellite

Meaning 8

bad; unfortunate

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • my finances were in a deplorable state
  • a lamentable decision
  • her clothes were in sad shape
  • a sorry state of affairs

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: deplorable, distressing, lamentable, sad, sorry

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle English pityful, piteful, piteeful. By surface analysis, pit(i) + -ful.

Across languages

Translations

58 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Belarusian: жа́ласны (žálasny) — so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it
  • Bulgarian: жалък (žalǎk) — so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it
  • Bulgarian: клет (klet) — so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it
  • Catalan: lamentable — so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it
  • Chinese Cantonese: 慘 /惨 (caam2) — so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it
  • Chinese Mandarin: 可憐 /可怜 (kělián) — so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it
  • Sichuanese: 造孽 (zao4 nyie2) — so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it
  • Dutch: zielig — so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it
  • Finnish: säälittävä — so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it
  • French: pitoyable — so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it
  • German: erbärmlich — so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it
  • German: kläglich — so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it
  • German: jämmerlich — so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it
  • German: mitleiderregend — so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it
  • German: bemitleidenswert — so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it
  • German: bedauernswert — so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it
  • German: erbarmungswürdig — so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it
  • German: Mitleid erregend — so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it
  • Greek: αξιολύπητος (axiolýpitos) — so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it
  • Ancient Greek: οἰκτρός (oiktrós) — so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it
  • Hindi: दयनीय (daynīya) — so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it
  • Ingrian: poloin — so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it
  • Japanese: 可憐な (karen na) — so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it
  • Latin: miser — so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it
  • Latin: flēbilis — so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it
  • Māori: whakaaroha — so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it
  • Māori: hanga aroha — so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it
  • Navajo: baa hojoobáʼí — so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it
  • Norman: pitchiabl'ye — so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it
  • Norwegian bokmål: arm — so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it
  • Norwegian nynorsk: arm — so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it
  • Polish: żałosny — so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it
  • Portuguese: lamentável — so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it
  • Russian: жа́лкий (žálkij) — so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it
  • Russian: бе́дненький (bédnenʹkij) — so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it
  • Russian: жа́лостный (žálostnyj) — so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it
  • Russian: жа́лостливый (žálostlivyj) — so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it
  • Spanish: lastimoso — so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it
  • Spanish: lastimero — so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it
  • Spanish: penoso — so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it
  • Spanish: lamentoso — so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it
  • Spanish: achará — so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it
  • Spanish: mísero — so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it
  • Ukrainian: жа́лісний (žálisnyj) — so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it
  • Unami: këtëmaksi — so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it
  • Bulgarian: нищожен (ništožen) — of an amount or number: very small
  • Catalan: miserable — of an amount or number: very small
  • Chinese Mandarin: 很少 (hěn shǎo) — of an amount or number: very small
  • Finnish: säälittävä — of an amount or number: very small
  • French: dérisoire — of an amount or number: very small
  • German: kümmerlich — of an amount or number: very small
  • German: armselig — of an amount or number: very small
  • Russian: жа́лкий (žálkij) — of an amount or number: very small
  • Russian: ничто́жный (ničtóžnyj) — of an amount or number: very small
  • Russian: ми́зерный (mízernyj) — of an amount or number: very small
  • Spanish: mísero — of an amount or number: very small
  • German: mitleidig — in a pitiful manner; pitifully; piteously; pathetically
  • German: mitleidsvoll — in a pitiful manner; pitifully; piteously; pathetically