as in merciful
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as in loving
to have sympathy for
I always pity the people who have to work in this freezing weather
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pitying
Daniyal Mueenuddin, New Yorker, 23 Nov. 2025
Twenty-first-century indie shaped the identities of many Millennials, but it’s now often talked about with pitying nostalgia—as the bygone style of hipsters with handlebar mustaches pretending to be countercultural while making easy-listening music for hotel lobbies.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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
Twenty-first-century indie shaped the identities of many Millennials, but it’s now often talked about with pitying nostalgia—as the bygone style of hipsters with handlebar mustaches pretending to be countercultural while making easy-listening music for hotel lobbies.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pitying
Adjective
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The Olympics appear to be the merciful conclusion of an adductor muscle injury from last season’s 4 Nations Face-Off that cost him the rest of the regular season last year and forced him to play hurt during the playoffs.—
Chris Kudialis,
Miami Herald,
23 Feb. 2026
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These changes would ensure a more merciful society, one that pardons in the name not of a sovereign president, but of the people.—
Bernadette Meyler,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Slater is a virtuosic physical actor, and his evocation of the mime’s precision, silliness, and grace—the elastic faces, the acrobatic tumbles, the fingers that bloom into flowers, then wilt, then bloom again — is painstaking and loving in its observance.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
23 Feb. 2026
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Normally a fun-loving guy, his confidence obviously waned at the end of the ’25 season, and the Cubs need the old Imanaga to return in ’26.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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For tough, drought-tolerant plants that thrive in full sun, try yarrow, coreopsis, coneflower, and sedum.—
Angela England,
The Spruce,
22 Feb. 2026
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Plants that are adaptable to a variety of growing conditions are easier to site in the garden without the need to amend soil, and drought-tolerant selections mean fewer days dragging hoses through the yard.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
22 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The source added that Kate is sympathetic toward Beatrice and Eugenie as a fellow mother to young children.—
Jason Pham,
StyleCaster,
24 Feb. 2026
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Other judges have been more sympathetic to the NCAA’s concern that the unique character of college sports could be harmed if players stick around for years as perpetual graduate students.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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That’s why understanding how carbon monoxide detectors work is essential for protecting your household.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
20 Jan. 2026
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Chastain, who is the lead star and an executive producer of the series, was not especially understanding.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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That’s had a direct impact on patient numbers, Muthyala said.—
Lauren Mascarenhas,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
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Be patient, understanding, and (most importantly) listen.—
Kimberly Zapata,
Parents,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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With the economy in the doldrums, the public is less forbearing.—
Jeff Kingston,
Time,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Start with a very forgiving plant that can take multiple types of light and do not need lots of water; snake plants and Aglaonema are great plants to start with.—
Ashley Chalmers,
The Spruce,
11 Feb. 2026
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In addition, Tucker claims MSU adopted a much lighter and more forgiving touch with two white coaches, football coach Mark Dantonio and basketball coach Tom Izzo, when they and their programs were accused of wrongdoing.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pitying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pitying. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
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