PITYING Synonyms: 142 Similar and Opposite Words

pitying 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of pitying

as in merciful

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

pitying

2 of 2

verb

present participle of pity

as in loving

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

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 pitying

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

Soon, an Angels’ season filled with firings, turmoil and loss after loss after loss will come to its merciful conclusion.

— Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
God did not punish him intensely, but only from time to time and in a merciful way.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of merciful

Verb

In fact, the book’s depiction of Nick’s friendship and burgeoning relationship with Daisy’s golf-loving best friend Jordan Baker is upgraded to a torrid romance with its own love song and bedroom scenes that match Daisy’s and Gatsby’s.

— Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 1 Oct. 2026
In opening statements, prosecutors elaborated on that claim, saying Weinberg also traded on stories and pictures of his three children, presenting himself as a loving father looking for an outlet for his creative passion as an amateur shutterbug.

— Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of loving

Adjective

That her means of exit is abandoning her newborn twins is less than sympathetic, but in a different era Cathy would have options beyond a domesticity that never suited her in the first place.

— Alison Herman, Variety, 1 Oct. 2026
In my experience, many corporate teams drift between sympathetic over-activation (burnout) and dorsal shutdown (disengagement).

— Roy Ward, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of sympathetic

Adjective

Fully understanding how these fragmented droplets interact with airborne vehicles remains a unsolved piece of the puzzle.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 29 Sep. 2026
Atletico coach Diego Simeone has said publicly that the player has the right to make decisions over his own future, but the Metropolitano fans are unlikely to be so understanding.

— Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 23 June 2026

Definition of understanding

Adjective

As reported earlier this year by KFF Health News, Nebraska’s health information exchange network, called CyncHealth, is sharing patient data with the federal government to enable studies on vaccines and autism.

— Brittany Trang, STAT, 29 Sep. 2026
When the consequence matters to a customer, employee, patient or citizen, somebody should remain accountable for the decision.

— Gregg Aldana, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of patient

Adjective

On ordinary days, the loop is a training ground for runners and cyclists, and an unusually forgiving place for beginners and families.

— Rick Maese, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2026
Timeless, versatile, and chic, barn jackets strike the right balance between casual and polished while having a looser, more forgiving silhouette that can easily be layered with a sweater, blouse, or long-sleeve shirt on chilly days.

— Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of forgiving

Browse Nearby Words

pity

pitying

pivot

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Pitying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pitying. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of pitying

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

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