1
as in pathetic
deserving pitying scorn (as for inadequacy)
that piece of junk is a pitiful excuse for a car
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lame
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust
a pitiful coward
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in poor
deserving of one's pity
pitiful orphans who had lost everything in the war
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pitiful
To repeat ourselves, New York City has long been pitiful in the public potty department.
—
New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 12 Apr. 2025
But the modern Democratic Party, rudderless and confused and reeling from a pitiful collective performance during Tuesday evening's presidential joint address to Congress, now confronts a fork in the road that's no joke.
—Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
In the director’s world, fathers are pitiful providers, mothers are blandly cheerful (while quietly suffering enormously), and the kids see far more than their parents do.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 21 Feb. 2025
Who knew that banning books, paying teachers pitiful salaries and threatening them with jail if they were caught with salacious book titles would be the holy grail of student success?
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 11 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pitiful
New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 12 Apr. 2025
But the modern Democratic Party, rudderless and confused and reeling from a pitiful collective performance during Tuesday evening's presidential joint address to Congress, now confronts a fork in the road that's no joke.
—Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
In the director’s world, fathers are pitiful providers, mothers are blandly cheerful (while quietly suffering enormously), and the kids see far more than their parents do.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 21 Feb. 2025
Who knew that banning books, paying teachers pitiful salaries and threatening them with jail if they were caught with salacious book titles would be the holy grail of student success?
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 11 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pitiful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pitiful
Adjective
-
No other governor, remember, has tried to pull off this pathetic budget stunt.—
Joe Soucheray,
Twin Cities,
10 May 2025
-
In his last, most pathetic years, Mark Twain threw himself behind the crackpot theory that the true author of Shakespeare’s plays may have been Francis Bacon.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
9 May 2025
Adjective
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As holidays go, however, Flag Day can feel a bit lame.—
Kevin Fisher-Paulson,
San Francisco Chronicle,
8 June 2021
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My 11-year-old loved watching the pups roll balls and play a giant floor piano, but for non-dog owners (guilty as charged), parts of the series—like dressing dogs in little hats and outfits for a Parisian fashion show—feel lame.—
Tim Neville,
Outside Online,
23 Nov. 2020
Adjective
-
Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns each added 23 points and OG Anunoby bounced back from two poor performances by scoring 20 for the Knicks, who can win the series Wednesday night at Boston.—
Brian Mahoney,
Baltimore Sun,
13 May 2025
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Boston built big second-half leads on New York in both Games 1 and 2 at home, but squandered them due to uncharacteristically poor 3-point shooting.—
Tyler Everett,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 May 2025
Adjective
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For someone who prizes roadside Americana, this is the visual version of the sad trombone sound.—
Christopher Reynolds,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2025
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After the show, there's booze, girls, and hotel suites, but Abel's locked in the bathroom, being sad.—
Jordan Hoffman,
EW.com,
15 May 2025
Adjective
-
Tesla troubles: Amid tough year, Tesla releases a new, cheaper version of the Model Y Is the 2025 Tesla Model Y a good SUV to get?—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
10 May 2025
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High energy costs overall are due to a number of factors, including inefficiencies, losses, theft, inflation, and quirks of long-term contracts that result in the utility paying for more expensive power sources even when cheaper ones are available.—
Christine Ro,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2025
Adjective
-
Twain’s wife, Olivia Langdon, bore him four children, only one of whom escaped a wretched end.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
9 May 2025
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Roaches and a wretched food truck inspection lowlight this week’s list of South Florida restaurants shut down by state inspection.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
9 May 2025
Adjective
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They were bullied, beaten, humiliated, tortured and shot, with productive laborers crammed on top of one another in the dirty stone barracks—separately from the Jewish prisoners, whose numbers grew ever larger.—
Paul Hockenos,
Smithsonian Magazine,
8 May 2025
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Coal plants are also the dirtiest fossil fuel in terms of planet-warming carbon dioxide emissions.—
Sammy Roth,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2025
Adjective
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Allergies can make anyone miserable, especially when traveling.—
Michelle Marchante,
Miami Herald,
15 May 2025
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Nothing’s more miserable than foot pain before the dancing’s even begun.—
Camille Freestone,
Glamour,
13 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pitiful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pitiful. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
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