as in merciful
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Dissimilar Words
as in loving
to have sympathy for
I always pity the people who have to work in this freezing weather
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pitying
Casey Cep, New Yorker, 9 May 2026
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
There is nothing pitying and also nothing airbrushed in the pictures—just the occasional haze of a misty morning or the blurry tremor of a burning brush pile.
—Casey Cep, New Yorker, 9 May 2026
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
-
As the sun began to peek over the hillside, offering a merciful burst of warmth, Alonso Abugattas called this year’s Trillium Trek to order.—
Ashley Stimpson,
Washington Post,
11 May 2026
-
Would a just and merciful God approve of what is happening?—
Kenneth Seeskin,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 2026
Verb
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Evie’s eccentric family also featured, including fiercely loving single mum Suz (Suranne Jones), sister Izzie (Liv Hill), boyfriend Josh (Adam Long), and frustrating neighbor Callum (Owen Cooper).—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
11 May 2026
-
The New York Knicks are headed back to the Eastern Conference finals -- and their fans are loving every minute of it.—
Andrew Ramos,
CBS News,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
They are considered shade-tolerant plants, but most will not thrive in deep shade.—
Tim Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
16 May 2026
-
This drought tolerant vine grows naturally on dry, sandy soils in pine forest openings and coastal uplands.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
16 May 2026
Adjective
-
In a trial featuring a clash between Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, neither of the tech titans has emerged as an overly sympathetic character.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 May 2026
-
The film provides further complexity by not making Bear a sympathetic victim but rather complicit by initially enjoying Nikki’s affections despite their artificial provenance.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
Others online were more understanding.—
Neal Riley,
CBS News,
7 May 2026
-
Come next year, if the Blackhawks are in 30th or 31st place again, fans may not be so understanding.—
Scott Powers,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
Union officials announced their intention to go on strike one month ago to allow UC to prepare for potential disruptions to patient services given the size of the labor group.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
14 May 2026
-
In addiction medicine, this type of frequent patient contact would be invaluable for informational purposes as well as successful adherence to treatment plans.—
Steve D. Klein,
STAT,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
With the economy in the doldrums, the public is less forbearing.—
Jeff Kingston,
Time,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Hull suggests going for softer and more forgiving shades of white, like off-whites or warm whites.—
Asia London Palomba,
The Spruce,
12 May 2026
-
This charming member of the asparagus family is a forgiving choice for those new to houseplants.—
Emily Hayes,
Martha Stewart,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pitying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pitying. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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