1
as in pitiful
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust
the sales presentation was a pitiable display of ineptitude and disorganization
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pathetic
deserving pitying scorn (as for inadequacy)
a pitiable attempt at singing that generated snickers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in poor
deserving of one's pity
a pitiable, starving old dog
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pitiable
Women who died in childbirth, young men who died in war, infants who died before baptism—these especially pitiable dead were sometimes thought to become terrors whom the living would need to finish off once and for all.
—
Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 7 Jan. 2026
Early modern people often represented ghosts as sad and pitiable.
—Penelope Geng, The Conversation, 27 Oct. 2025
And Berchtold capably taps into the raw pain underneath Paul’s party-bro exterior, rendering him pitiable if not exactly likable.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2025
Beau, played hapless and pitiable by Joaquin Phoenix, can’t go five minutes without dodging violent street punks, or fielding calls from his emotionally abusive mother, or narrowly escaping gunfire.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for pitiable
Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 7 Jan. 2026
Early modern people often represented ghosts as sad and pitiable.
—Penelope Geng, The Conversation, 27 Oct. 2025
And Berchtold capably taps into the raw pain underneath Paul’s party-bro exterior, rendering him pitiable if not exactly likable.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2025
Beau, played hapless and pitiable by Joaquin Phoenix, can’t go five minutes without dodging violent street punks, or fielding calls from his emotionally abusive mother, or narrowly escaping gunfire.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for pitiable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pitiable
Adjective
-
Gallup reached only 50,000 people, a pitiful fraction of The Literary Digest’s awe-inspiring mailbag.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Mercy came via a bye week, the pitiful Raiders and an inept Cowboys defense.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The pathetic leaks didn’t work.—
Lea Veloso,
StyleCaster,
2 Mar. 2026
-
The jobs report was a complete failure, and his economic approval sits at a pathetic 39%.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
City officials say the long-term leases make buying Liberty Station a poor investment for any potential buyer other than Seligman.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Further, according to the paper, when supply tightens, richer nations outbid poorer ones for scarce shipments, exacerbating challenges for vulnerable economies.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Saying the house is like a character too sounds a bit lame.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
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That huge war chest would be especially remarkable amassed by a lame-duck president.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
There will be keggers, hook-ups, late nights and early mornings, all without shading Greg as a sad old man trying to turn back time.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
5 Mar. 2026
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But none of them can say this, none of them can let their feelings be known, and, instead of a triangle, what ends up happening is three sad lines fallen in on each other, lying in a pile, waiting for someone to come along and prop them back up into a shape.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
As with much else in this wretched administration, the initial refusal to review Moderna’s vaccine was a transparent pretext for officials to pursue political and ideological preferences under the guise of regular government administration.—
The Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 Feb. 2026
-
There were still seasons, birds and bees, and days and weeks in all their wretched assuredness.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Their weekly grocery bill has dropped from the equivalent of about $400 to $267; fuel and public transport are 40% cheaper; and GP visits cost 25% less – with same-day appointments replacing week-long waits.—
Laura Sharman,
CNN Money,
7 Mar. 2026
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Respect yourself by choosing quality items over the cheapest possible options, then treat those purchases with care.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Alex Caruso relishes making Jokic miserable.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Weegar has had a tough season, with his impact in basically every situation falling off during what’s been a miserable year all around in Calgary.—
Shayna Goldman,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pitiable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pitiable. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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