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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pitiful
Granted, those three performances were pitiful.
—
Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2026
Gallup reached only 50,000 people, a pitiful fraction of The Literary Digest’s awe-inspiring mailbag.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 21 Feb. 2026
Writer-director Craig Brewer resists the temptation to make Mike and Claire in any way pitiful or worthy of derision.
—Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 9 Jan. 2026
Here in his pitiful, mini Gaza where reasoning and logic struggle futilely.
—Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pitiful
Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2026
Gallup reached only 50,000 people, a pitiful fraction of The Literary Digest’s awe-inspiring mailbag.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 21 Feb. 2026
Writer-director Craig Brewer resists the temptation to make Mike and Claire in any way pitiful or worthy of derision.
—Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 9 Jan. 2026
Here in his pitiful, mini Gaza where reasoning and logic struggle futilely.
—Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pitiful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pitiful
Adjective
-
Even without Bosa, 20 sacks is a pathetic number for a franchise that through the years has included fearsome edge players such as Tommy Hart, Cedrick Hardman, Charles Haley and Aldon Smith.—
Jerry McDonald,
Mercury News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
With Juan Soto still sidelined, Alvarez has recently moved up to fifth in a so-far pathetic Mets lineup.—
Michael Salfino,
New York Times,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The band felt embarrassed wearing those lame outfits.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Full lame-duck seasons like the one coming up here are rare; and for good reason.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Injuries to key players on the Amazin’s contributed to some poor numbers as well.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Although poor students are disproportionately likely to receive special education in New York City, well-off disabled kids are the ones most acutely driving up the budget.—
Marc Novicoff,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The sad but realistic turns in their lives are engrossing, as is their slow convergence.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
-
While Vosk’s sassier Cee Cee holds her own in the churn, Barrett, also a fine singer but trapped in the straight-and-narrow part (with sadder wigs), gets swept out to sea.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But by tweaking this archetype again and again, Chan transforms a cheap gimmick into a complex ecosystem of life-forms.—
Dawn Chan,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The cheapest available seat was listed at $237 as of Friday evening.—
Annie Costabile,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Sullivan has run a refreshing offseason, considering his wretched inheritance.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Working with his regular cinematographer Oleg Mutu, Loznitsa gives this prison — and authoritarianism itself — a sickly luster without ever denying its wretched stench.—
Tim Grierson,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The drinks attract younger women, typically age 16 to 35, and are aimed at health-conscious customers that don’t want Swig’s more caloric and filling dirty sodas, CEO Alex Dunn said.—
Jordan Valinsky,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2026
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That wasn’t the only utensil stored in a dirty place.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The reality could not have been more miserable.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Apple TV‘s Pluribus is described as a genre-bending original in which the most miserable person on Earth must save the world from happiness.—
Scott Huver,
Deadline,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pitiful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pitiful. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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