Synonyms of pity

pity 1 of 2

noun

ˈpi-tē 

1

as in shame

a regrettable or blameworthy act

it's a pity the woodchuck ate all the flowers after you put so much effort into the garden

Synonyms & Similar Words

• shame
• crime
• disgrace
• sin
• scandal
• outrage

2

as in sympathy

the capacity for feeling for another's unhappiness or misfortune

a woman of boundless pity who tried to care for every abandoned animal she found

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sympathy
• kindness
• compassion
• heart
• mercy
• feeling
• feelings
• generosity
• humanity
• ruth
• commiseration
• sensitivity
• kindliness
• love
• charity
• kindheartedness
• good-heartedness
• responsiveness
• regard
• warmheartedness
• affection
• largeheartedness
• softheartedness
• empathy
• bigheartedness
• sensibility
• affinity
• altruism
• goodwill
• humanism
• rapport
• benevolence
• humaneness
• benignity
• humanitarianism
• philanthropy
• benignancy

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• indifference
• inhumanity
• coldness
• disinterest
• unconcern
• cruelty
• callousness
• hatred
• pitilessness
• mercilessness
• hard-heartedness
• coldheartedness
• harshness
• hostility
• inhumanness
• animosity
• dislike
• antipathy

pity

2 of 2

verb

as in to love

to have sympathy for

I always pity the people who have to work in this freezing weather

Synonyms & Similar Words

• love
• feel (for)
• bleed (for)
• sympathize (with)
• understand
• compassionate
• yearn (over)
• commiserate (with)
• ache (for)
• condole (with)
• sorrow (for)
• tolerate
• grieve (for)
• care (for)
• identify (with)
• empathize (with)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ignore
• disregard
• neglect
• hate
• overlook
• dislike
• scorn

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun pity contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of pity are commiseration, compassion, condolence, and sympathy. While all these words mean "the act or capacity for sharing the painful feelings of another," pity implies tender or sometimes slightly contemptuous sorrow for one in misery or distress.

felt pity for the captives

When is it sensible to use commiseration instead of pity?

The words commiseration and pity can be used in similar contexts, but commiseration suggests pity expressed outwardly in exclamations, tears, or words of comfort.

murmurs of commiseration filled the loser's headquarters

When can compassion be used instead of pity?

While in some cases nearly identical to pity, compassion implies pity coupled with an urgent desire to aid or to spare.

treats the homeless with great compassion

When might condolence be a better fit than pity?

The synonyms condolence and pity are sometimes interchangeable, but condolence applies chiefly to formal expression of grief to one who has suffered loss.

expressed their condolences to the widow

When could sympathy be used to replace pity?

In some situations, the words sympathy and pity are roughly equivalent. However, sympathy often suggests a tender concern but can also imply a power to enter into another's emotional experience of any sort.

went to my best friend for sympathy

in sympathy with her desire to locate her natural parents

How does the noun pity contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of pity are commiseration, compassion, condolence, and sympathy. While all these words mean "the act or capacity for sharing the painful feelings of another," pity implies tender or sometimes slightly contemptuous sorrow for one in misery or distress.

felt pity for the captives

When is it sensible to use commiseration instead of pity?

The words commiseration and pity can be used in similar contexts, but commiseration suggests pity expressed outwardly in exclamations, tears, or words of comfort.

murmurs of commiseration filled the loser's headquarters

When can compassion be used instead of pity?

While in some cases nearly identical to pity, compassion implies pity coupled with an urgent desire to aid or to spare.

treats the homeless with great compassion

When might condolence be a better fit than pity?

The synonyms condolence and pity are sometimes interchangeable, but condolence applies chiefly to formal expression of grief to one who has suffered loss.

expressed their condolences to the widow

When could sympathy be used to replace pity?

In some situations, the words sympathy and pity are roughly equivalent. However, sympathy often suggests a tender concern but can also imply a power to enter into another's emotional experience of any sort.

went to my best friend for sympathy

in sympathy with her desire to locate her natural parents

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of pity

Noun

Mikey Madison does a stellar job of switching back and forth between homicidal malevolence and victimhood, going straight for pity whenever Amber is cornered. —Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026

If an enduring trait of the bro-country continuum involves the self-sabotaging, toxic man who seeks pity for his inability to manage romantic relationships, then Megan Moroney is here to tell the other side of the story. —Millan Verma, Pitchfork, 24 Feb. 2026

Verb

Raiders may have Geno Smith back, but pity any QB facing a great Texans defense behind LV’s sieve of an O-line. —Greg Cote december 18, Miami Herald, 18 Dec. 2025

The mother took him in, pitying his orphan status and appreciating his straightforward manners, neither servile nor presumptuous, but respectful and unembarrassed and warm. —Daniyal Mueenuddin, New Yorker, 23 Nov. 2025