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Definition of pitiful
1 archaic : full of pity : compassionate
2a : deserving or arousing pity or commiserationb : exciting pitying contempt (as by meanness or inadequacy) pitiful wages
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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 of pitiful from the Web
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But the third fight resulted in a pitiful decision.
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Tens of thousands of refugees remain stranded in Greece, some in truly pitiful conditions.
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The character of Flounder — whose appearance is so pitiful that the older members of Delta Tau Chi pelt a picture of him with beer cans when he is suggested as a pledge — is one of the film’s most reliable sources of comic relief.
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Their record in the former quarters at Turner Field on the south side of the city was dreadful: 68-106, a pitiful winning percentage of .391.
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But there also must have been some pitiful, uninspiring politicians vying for office.
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There has been plenty to disappoint Spurs fans this season: a pitiful European campaign (which also seemed to fatally damage league form in the fall), another FA Cup semifinal defeat and, probably, another near miss in the title race.
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At a time when dam construction in Ethiopia threatens to cut the river’s flow—at least temporarily—the lifeblood of the pharaohs might soon be reduced to a pitiful dribble.
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Scaramucci has a plan for winning over the pitiful wretches, however.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pitiful'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of pitiful
14th century
PITIFUL Defined for English Language Learners
pitiful
playDefinition of pitiful for English Language Learners
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: deserving or causing feelings of pity or sympathy
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: causing feelings of dislike or disgust by not being enough or not being good enough
PITIFUL Defined for Kids
pitiful
playDefinition of pitiful for Students
1 : deserving or causing feelings of pity a pitiful sight
2 : deserving or causing a feeling of dislike or disgust by not being sufficient or good enough a pitiful excuse
pitifully
\-fə-lē, -flē\ adverbLearn More about pitiful
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for pitiful Spanish Central: Translation of pitiful Nglish: Translation of pitiful for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of pitiful for Arabic speakers
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