pitiful

adjective

ˈpi-ti-fəl How to pronounce pitiful (audio)
Definition of pitifulnext
1
as in pathetic
deserving pitying scorn (as for inadequacy) that piece of junk is a pitiful excuse for a car

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lame
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust a pitiful coward

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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

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 pitiful Will the harsh weather mean poor growth and pitiful harvests? — Gemma Johnstone, The Spruce, 8 May 2026 Which is a key reason why their economies—with a few exceptions, such as Poland and the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania—have been such pitiful performers in this century. — Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 8 May 2026 Written as a response to the utopian fiction that consumed Russia’s intelligentsia at the time, Notes from Underground is a mirror that reflects the ugliest, most pitiful aspects of humanity back at us. — Big Think, 29 Apr. 2026 These two beacons of truth and connoisseurs of mess have been bonded for over a decade, sharing the traumas of a crappy Boston dorm room and a pitiful Brooklyn dating scene. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 21 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pitiful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pitiful
  1. pathetic
  2. lame
  3. poor
  4. sad
  5. cheap
  6. wretched
  7. dirty
  8. miserable
Adjective
  • North Texas Howard WKU Northwestern Rutgers Nebraska That's a pathetic first six weeks.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 31 July 2026
  • Despite the Warriors operating with a pathetic sense of self-mortification — bending over backward for the mere possibility the King might grace them with his presence — the power of friendship wasn’t enough to lure James to the Bay.
    — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 24 July 2026
Definition of pathetic
Adjective
  • The jokes are still wildly scattershot and frequently, knowingly lame; the production is still cheap and cheerfully scrappy; the whole ragged enterprise is still reliant on the evident affection and chemistry between its players to hold it together.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 5 Aug. 2026
  • A couple solid set-pieces, a lame evil corporate villain, a limp Act 1 origin story, and the perfect scene where Pepper performs open-heart surgery on Tony complete the picture.
    — EW Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of lame
Adjective
  • Covid-19 wasn’t immediately recognized as a disease with airborne transmission with the potential to spread beyond the 6-foot social distancing measure, especially in places with poor ventilation or around activities with heavy breathing.
    — Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Crepe myrtles may not bloom due to poor pruning, low light, watering issues, weak soil, or pests.
    — Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of poor
Adjective
  • Said sad attraction is not exactly comparable to Buckingham Fountain.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Their deaths were a sad reminder of the danger that pneumococcal pneumonia poses to older adults.
    — Mark Marino, PEOPLE, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of sad
Adjective
  • Its latest pickup, the Ford Fathom, will cost a downright cheap $28,350, which should set it up to be a massive seller.
    — Michael Ballaban, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Which explains why even modern-day Russia has recently loaded up with the cheapest possible foreign labor from former Soviet satellite states.
    — Rachel Marsden, Hartford Courant, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of cheap
Adjective
  • Hashimi’s tale of unflagging effort amid wretched inequality astounds.
    — Monitor reviewers, Christian Science Monitor, 23 July 2026
  • Sixteen children from the same family who were rescued from a dilapidated home in rural Ohio were living in wretched conditions with human waste all around, confined to just one room over much of the past four years, authorities said.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 1 July 2026
Definition of wretched
Adjective
  • Some of the booths included food businesses including bakeries and lemonade stands and a dirty soda booth.
    — David Sharos, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Now condemned and boarded up, cordoned off by sagging tape, dirty roll-up door set to adorn the front pages of tomorrow’s papers.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of dirty
Adjective
  • Maybe people don’t realize, but a lot of shows become miserable to work on.
    — Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 30 July 2026
  • Despite the miserable May that cast their season into the wilderness, the ability is still there.
    — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 25 July 2026
Definition of miserable

Browse Nearby Words

pities
pitiful
pitiless
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Cite this Entry

“Pitiful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pitiful. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of pitiful for Spanish Speakers

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