pitiable

adjective piti·able \ ˈpi-tē-ə-bəl \

|Updated on: 15 Jul 2018

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Examples: pitiable in a Sentence

Definition of pitiable

1 : deserving or exciting pity : lamentable

pitiable victims

2 : of a kind to evoke mingled pity and contempt especially because of inadequacy

a pitiable excuse

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pitiableness

noun

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pitiably

play \ˈpi-tē-ə-blē\ adverb

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Examples of pitiable in a Sentence

the sales presentation was a pitiable display of ineptitude and disorganization
a pitiable attempt at singing that generated snickers

Recent Examples of pitiable from the Web

But when that friend overdosed, the user was suddenly no longer a pitiable drug addict but an evil murderer.

— josie duffy rice, The Atlantic, "The Gospel According to Pusha T," 12 July 2018
What the Bachelorette needs to be above all is a woman the audience wants to root for—pitiable, but not pathetic.

— mattie kahn, Glamour, "Cazzie David Should Be the Next Bachelorette: A Proposal," 10 July 2018
And for a while, the murders provide good, amoral fun—because a computer chip is doing all the work, Grey can remain a sympathetic, even pitiable hero.

— ben sachs, Chicago Reader, "Upgrade is so derivative, it’s original," 14 June 2018
This swerving tone—from blithe to pitiable, humorous to harrowing—works well in the books, when we are glued to Patrick’s side and treated to his acid tongue and exquisite descriptions.

— rachel syme, The New Republic, "Is Patrick Melrose Too Glamorous?," 17 May 2018
One of the most pitiable characters in contemporary theater, her struggle at the hands of a succession of brutal and abusive men, is the very heart and soul of the musical.

— theodore p. mahne, NOLA.com, "Saenger's essential revival of 'Color Purple' well worth revisiting," 21 Feb. 2018
There’ll also be a dunk tank with a pitiable fan in pinstripes being plunged every time someone with the accuracy of Kelly hits the target.

— mark shanahan, BostonGlobe.com, "PawSox bring MLB rivalry to McCoy Stadium," 20 Apr. 2018
The warehouses of companies like Lidl and Amazon combine hyper-regulated, mentally and physically exhausting work with ruthless metrics and pitiable pay.

— david sessions, The New Republic, "The Meaning of American Factories," 2 Apr. 2018
That and the general reprieve from being viewed by society as either threatening or pitiable.

— sloane crosley, The Cut, "The Doctor Is a Woman," 26 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pitiable.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of pitiable

15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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pitiable Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of pitiable

contemptible, despicable, pitiable, sorry, scurvy mean arousing or deserving scorn. contemptible may imply any quality provoking scorn or a low standing in any scale of values.