pity

noun \ ˈpi-tē \

|Updated on: 14 Aug 2018

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Examples: pity in a Sentence

Definition of pity

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

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Examples of pity in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of pity from the Web

What prevails, specifically with regard to the security and defense concern, is the idea of ‘what a pity, what a shame.’ The British are leaving Europe at a time when the Americans are leaving the world, when Europe is more necessary than ever.

— william booth and james mcauley, Washington Post, "Europeans haven’t given up hope that Britain will change its mind on Brexit," 12 June 2018
In the end, our narrator is left with a mix of pity and resolve.

— sadia hassan, Longreads, "Silence is a Lonely Country: A Prayer in Twelve Parts," 13 July 2018
The fact that our knee jerk reaction to a woman becoming single is one of exhilarated empowerment rather than pity or dismay shows that minds have been changed, even slightly.

— kathryn lindsay, refinery29.com, "Why Be Engaged When You Can Be An Ex?," 13 July 2018
While some admire Dershowitz for sticking to his opinion despite the ridicule, others have responded with sarcastic pity.

— renae reints, Fortune, "Alan Dershowitz’s Martha's Vineyard Neighbors Are Shunning Him for Defending Donald Trump," 3 July 2018
Seeing him in his prison uniform, Jennifer felt more pity than anger.

— jonathan small, Good Housekeeping, "A Drunk Driver Destroyed Jennifer Tracy's Family. Now, She Wants to Save Him.," 2 July 2018
One of us needs to exhale Darcel Rockett: Jen is still on a downward spiral of junk food and self pity that not even her babies, her girls at the salon or Desna can pull her out of it.

— nina metz, chicagotribune.com, "‘Claws’ Episode 3 recap: 5 things to know about ‘Russian Navy’ and the sinking of the S.S. Jen," 25 June 2018
The charity sector, for example, abundantly uses small children to provoke bourgeois pity.

— josephine livingstone, The New Republic, "America’s “Poster Child” Syndrome," 20 June 2018
Yet somehow, someway, against fairly daunting odds, the singer’s show felt not like a pity party, but like a party party, one that featured ample opportunities to sing along, clap along, dance along, and smile along.

— théoden janes, charlotteobserver, "Review: Did Sam Smith and his sad songs find a way to send Charlotte fans home happy?," 7 July 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of pity

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

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First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

pity Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of 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.