PITIFUL Synonyms: 134 Similar and Opposite Words

pitiful

adjective

ˈpi-ti-fəl

Definition of pitiful

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

as in lame

arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust a pitiful coward

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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 Trump has made a pitiful shambles of what should have been a glorious moment. — David Frum, The Atlantic, 31 May 2026 Chilling moments like this are the lifeblood of The Dreamed Adventure, the moments that recall the pitiful last days of the dying communist era and the violent, mafia-style economics that whooshed in to replace them. — Damon Wise, Deadline, 22 May 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for pitiful

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pitiful

Adjective

There’s nothing more important than defeating his pathetic opponent, Mike Collins.

— NBC news, NBC news, 18 Oct. 2026
Haloed in distorted guitar and jagged synths, Wolf comes off as a champion of her own avoidance, her heroism charmingly pathetic.

— Enzo Escober, Pitchfork, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of pathetic

Adjective

Poetry gets left behind by the exigency of character development or, in the movie’s self-defeating logic, because the art form doesn’t really matter and is only a lame excuse for people who won’t take responsibility and grow up.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
Blumenthal hopes to see action on KOSA in the lame-duck session.

— Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of lame

Adjective

Disease that has spread to those organs is associated with poorer treatment outcomes.

— Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2026
They were frustrated with teacher shortages and poor conditions at schools, including overcrowded classrooms and dilapidated buildings.

— James Cirrone , Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of poor

Adjective

When the modern-day world has nothing to offer us but AI slop, shrinkflation and a sad acceptance that we can't be bothered to do anything about global warming.

— Ian Stokes, Space.com, 19 Oct. 2026
This island that was so fantastic has become Work Island and that’s sad.

— Joe Lynch, Billboard, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of sad

Adjective

The best seats will be the cheapest There is a wide spread in the available prices for tickets to see U2 on their 2027 tour.

— Jim Edwards, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
The federal government was preparing to change its rules on low-value imports, threatening her ability to purchase cheaper prescription medications for blood thinning and heart failure from Canada.

— Andrew R. Chow, Time, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of cheap

Adjective

Gavroche and the insurgents of 1832—the wretched who became rioters—were ready to die defending a particular vision of the republic against the July Monarchy and the usurper Louis-Philippe.

— Ollivier Pourriol, Vanity Fair, 19 Oct. 2026
The Vatican typically allows criminal investigations to play out before initiating canonical trials so as not to interfere, and that is especially so now in Australia, after the church's wretched legacy there of abuse and cover-up.

— ABC News, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of wretched

Adjective

The concentration of quaternary ammonia in the bucket with sanitizer is low (<100 ppm) and the water is visibly dirty.

— NWA Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
Many of the strongest initial applications are the dull, dirty, and dangerous tasks that go unfilled, contribute to injuries, and pull people away from higher-value judgment and exception handling.

— Navin Chaddha, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of dirty

Adjective

Our dear old Katie, who used to wake us up every morning with her cheery smile, is now nothing more than a miserable LIB Boomer who comments on Danica Patrick's Instagram posts in the middle of the night.

— Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2026
That's the last time the Chargers had a start this poor, dropping their first 11 games during a miserable 1-15 season.

— ABC News, ABC News, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of miserable

Browse Nearby Words

pities

pitiful

pitiless

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“Pitiful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pitiful. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of pitiful

adjective

Example Sentences

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