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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
-
That painful night in Dallas now feels merciful, compared with what this Avs team just experienced.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
27 May 2026
-
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
Verb
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For beer-loving fathers, few experiences combine story, heritage and hospitality quite like a journey to Ireland.—
Kate Hardcastle,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
-
Joining him are Art and Judy Daniels (Clarke Peters and Woodard), a pair of fun-loving septuagenarians with a knack for dropping everything and smoking a joint.—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
Just keep in mind that even the most drought-tolerant plants need regular watering before they’re established.—
Alexandra Kelly,
Martha Stewart,
5 June 2026
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Can persuasive storytelling help Americans be more tolerant and accepting of those with different visions for what America ought to be?—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
Adjective
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Once considered the definitive Monroe biography, Spoto’s thorough tome has been criticized for sometimes-unclear sourcing and being overly sympathetic.—
Pat Saperstein,
Variety,
1 June 2026
-
The base is narrow, the lifespan is limited, the cause is sympathetic.—
Daniel Bunn,
Oc Register,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
Here’s how understanding fluid intelligence can give you a useful lens for how people think, learn and adapt in everyday life, according to psychological research.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
-
Others online were more understanding.—
Neal Riley,
CBS News,
7 May 2026
Adjective
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The tracker takes heat illness data from patient complaints and doctor diagnoses provided by a countywide monitoring project that was previously available only to public health officials.—
Blanca Begert,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
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The initiative standardizes and pays for a range of services, including remote patient monitoring, home meal delivery, and mobile obstetric services.—
Mary C. Mayhew,
Sun Sentinel,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
With the economy in the doldrums, the public is less forbearing.—
Jeff Kingston,
Time,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
From yoga classes to the airport, these fluttery pants will keep you comfy for every activity with their forgiving rayon and spandex blend and sizes ranging from S to XL.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
29 May 2026
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While energy exports dominate national security briefings, agricultural inputs operate on a different and less forgiving timeline.—
Ariel Cohen,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pitying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pitying. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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