PITEOUS Synonyms: 34 Similar and Opposite Words

piteous

adjective

ˈpi-tē-əs

Definition of piteous

as in pitiful

deserving of one's pity a piteous beggar huddled in the doorway of an abandoned building

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of piteous An old woman and an old man, innocent as lambs, clambering over rubble with their piteous backpacks and bundles. — David Bezmozgis, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2025 Subjects set up as snakes in the grass are given piteous endings. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 20 Feb. 2025 The word integral seemed to me particularly poignant, piteous. — Joyce Carol Oates, Harper's Magazine, 10 July 2023 In roaring luxury markets from Manhattan to San Francisco over the past few years, buyers were a piteous bunch. — Katy McLaughlin, WSJ, 6 Mar. 2019

Recent Examples of Synonyms for piteous

Adjective

Completing the hat trick in pitiful style, Taking on the World was shot on a shoestring budget, helmed by the man behind Highlander III, and forced to rely on stock footage of real-life footballers.

— Jon O'Brien, Vulture, 26 June 2026
Given the national team’s pitiful demise at the Oval, with New Zealand completing victory on the fifth morning, Ben Stokes’ revival in absentia feels like the only consolation from a miserable week.

— Hector Vickers, New York Times, 21 June 2026

Definition of pitiful

Adjective

Renovation will only yield temporary improvement unless the original cause of a poor-quality lawn is remedied.

— Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2026
The consequences of a poor performance in the takeaway department sets a very high standard for rookies, something that can only bode well for the future.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of poor

Adjective

Not one Wrexham player emerged with credit from a truly wretched performance, apart perhaps from goalkeeper Anthony Patterson, who prevented the margin of defeat being even larger with excellent saves to deny Jarrod Bowen and Manor Solomon.

— Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Those who care deeply about one aspect of something or another often take charge of their memory, not necessarily reflecting the wretched, real-time ambivalence of the original experience.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of wretched

Adjective

Late in the Bears’ miserable offensive showing against the Vikings at a rainy Soldier Field, Williams was attempting to score the game’s first touchdown in the fourth quarter.

— Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026
However, the Royals can make life miserable for their division rivals.

— Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of miserable

Browse Nearby Words

pitchy

piteous

pitfall

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“Piteous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piteous. Accessed 25 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of piteous

adjective

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