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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pitiful
The pitiful screaming of surviving family members can be heard.
—
Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 12 Sep. 2025
As del Toro sees it, Frankenstein’s pitiful creation has been cursed with life, cannot be killed (even bullets don’t stop him) and must face the same existential crisis that confronts us all.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 30 Aug. 2025
Over 1,000 murdered whilst queuing for aid, starved due to their siege, whilst pitiful amounts of aid delivered by a sham agency controlled by Israel.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2025
Fried wasn’t the only reason the Yankees lost on Sunday, as the Bombers’ bats were pitiful against Jason Alexander.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 10 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pitiful
Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 12 Sep. 2025
As del Toro sees it, Frankenstein’s pitiful creation has been cursed with life, cannot be killed (even bullets don’t stop him) and must face the same existential crisis that confronts us all.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 30 Aug. 2025
Over 1,000 murdered whilst queuing for aid, starved due to their siege, whilst pitiful amounts of aid delivered by a sham agency controlled by Israel.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2025
Fried wasn’t the only reason the Yankees lost on Sunday, as the Bombers’ bats were pitiful against Jason Alexander.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 10 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pitiful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pitiful
Adjective
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The Panthers’ defense was largely effective against a pathetic Jets offense, which could barely muster movement at home.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
19 Oct. 2025
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And Craig Waterman, the marketing executive from the 2024 film Friendship, took Robinson into new territory with a darker and more pathetic take on the same neurotic type.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Cut to Culhane doing lame bits with chopsticks as walrus teeth.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
24 Oct. 2025
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Add in coach Steve Kerr willingly working on a lame-duck contract, and the Warriors could be looking for a new path forward within the year of saying hello to Butler, meaning that smell around Chase Center is one of desperation.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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There’s another element of the current concern regarding due process that relates to the fate of poor Cinna.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
23 Oct. 2025
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McDaniel’s debut album Lost Ones delves into his own story of growing up in a poor community in Kentucky, and dealing with mental health struggles, both personally and within his family — as well as McDaniel’s story of being saved during a past suicide attempt years ago.—
Jessica Nicholson,
Billboard,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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As Morgan and Sasha chat it up at Noah’s family’s Purim party, a sad-eyed Esther stands off to the side, quietly watching the interaction.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
24 Oct. 2025
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The footage shows Deiseroth’s demeanor teetering between sad and angry.—
David Goodhue
October 24,
Miami Herald,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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But cattle producers say importing cheaper beef abroad could threaten domestic agriculture in the long run.—
Mackensy Lunsford,
Nashville Tennessean,
23 Oct. 2025
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Gripen fighters have the reputation of being relatively cheap and easy to maintain and arm, and able to operate in austere conditions – using roads or even dirt roads for runways.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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When the din inside Rams Park had finally subsided, Arne Slot attempted to put a positive spin on a wretched night for Liverpool.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
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Yes, Baltimore’s defense is wretched, so don’t count on this being a cure-all, exactly.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Two days later and nearly 400 miles to the west, good Samaritans found two baby girls crying on the dirty floor of a park restroom in the working-class coastal California city of Oxnard.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
21 Oct. 2025
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Yellow or orange flames might indicate a problem with combustion or dirty burners.—
Lauren Bengtson,
Better Homes & Gardens,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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That is, even the Pew study contradicted the claims people were making about wealthier moms being the most miserable and stressed.—
Stephanie H. Murray,
The Atlantic,
21 Oct. 2025
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Blake Treinen got a pop-up and a strikeout to get out of that inning and now has had five effective outings in his six postseason appearances, after a miserable September.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pitiful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pitiful. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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