pity

1 of 2

noun

plural pities
1
a
: sympathetic sorrow for one suffering, distressed, or unhappy
b
: capacity to feel pity
2
: something to be regretted
it's a pity you can't go

pity

2 of 2

verb

pitied; pitying

transitive verb

: to feel pity for

intransitive verb

: to feel pity
Choose the Right Synonym for pity

pity, compassion, commiseration, condolence, sympathy mean the act or capacity for sharing the painful feelings of another.

pity implies tender or sometimes slightly contemptuous sorrow for one in misery or distress.

felt pity for the captives

compassion implies pity coupled with an urgent desire to aid or to spare.

treats the homeless with great compassion

commiseration suggests pity expressed outwardly in exclamations, tears, or words of comfort.

murmurs of commiseration filled the loser's headquarters

condolence applies chiefly to formal expression of grief to one who has suffered loss.

expressed their condolences to the widow

sympathy often suggests a tender concern but can also imply a power to enter into another's emotional experience of any sort.

went to my best friend for sympathy
in sympathy with her desire to locate her natural parents

Examples of pity in a Sentence

Noun She has had a hard life and deserves your pity. I felt deep pity for the lost dog. He didn't live to see his daughter grow up, and that's a pity. Verb I pity anyone who has to work at that place. I always pity the people who have to work in this freezing weather.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The combo of Troy Franklin (50 yards receiving) and Lucas Krull (41 yards receiving ) almost combined for 100 yards through three-and-a-half quarters, for pity’s sake. Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 17 Oct. 2024 Even the neck heel is smoothly contoured, with a gorgeously swoopy-looking neck heel carve that's frankly a pity to hide at the back of the instrument; only the fancier Strats get that kind of treatment. New Atlas, 15 Oct. 2024
Verb
Prior to Game 1 of the Championship Series, this writer spoke with Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, marveling at what Roberts had accomplished, and pitying his task of having to do it again, but this time over a potential seven games. Dan Freedman, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024 Read: On pitying Melania Would-be Melaniaologists have had mere scraps to work with over the years, which is why the announcement of her memoir in July was a surprise. Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pity 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English pite, from Anglo-French pité, from Latin pietat-, pietas piety, pity, from pius pious

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of pity was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near pity

Cite this Entry

“Pity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pity. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

pity

1 of 2 noun
plural pities
1
: sympathetic sorrow for one suffering, distressed, or unhappy : compassion
2
: something to be regretted
it's a pity you can't go

pity

2 of 2 verb
pitied; pitying
: to feel pity for

More from Merriam-Webster on pity

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!