pitiful

adjective

piti·​ful ˈpi-ti-fəl 

1

archaic : full of pity : compassionate

2

a

: deserving or arousing pity or commiseration

b

: exciting pitying contempt (as by meanness or inadequacy)

pitiful wages

pitifully

ˈpi-ti-f(ə-)lē 

adverb

pitifulness

ˈpi-ti-fəl-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• pathetic
• sad

Examples of pitiful in a Sentence

She made a pitiful attempt to complete her work.

that piece of junk is a pitiful excuse for a car

Recent Examples on the Web

The New York Jets season is off to quite the pitiful start. —Andrew Wright, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Oct. 2025

The Browns have scored the second-fewest points in the NFL, ahead of only the pitiful Tennessee Titans. —Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2025

On the side of the highway, Wilson cuts a pitiful, solitary figure. —Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025

Sewell did a lot to rescue quarterback Jared Goff’s career and transform the pitiful Lions into annual Super Bowl contenders. —Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

pitiful

adjective

piti·​ful ˈpit-i-fəl 

1

: deserving or arousing pity or sympathy

a pitiful mongrel

2

: deserving pitying scorn (as by not being adequate)

a pitiful excuse

pitifully

-f(ə-)lē 

adverb