pitiful
ˈpɪtɪfəl
Definition Synonyms

Definition of pitiful - Reverso English Dictionary

Adjective

1.
hard luckarousing feelings of pity due to sadness
  • The pitiful sight of the abandoned puppy moved everyone.
heartbreaking mournful pathetic
2.
poor qualitydeserving contempt due to inadequacy
  • His pitiful excuses did not convince anyone.
contemptible despicable wretched
3.
moneyvery small or inadequate in amount
  • He received a pitiful salary for his hard work.
insufficient meager scanty
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Origin of pitiful

Middle English, pite (compassion) + ful (full)

Terms with pitiful included in their meaning

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sorryadj.
pathetic
in a poor or pitiful state
appearance
person appearing pitiful or unfortunate
sad appearance
something that looks sad or pitiful
milchadj.
emotion
tender or pitiful in nature
hard luck
most pitiful or wretched

Examples of pitiful in a sentence

  • His pitiful expression made her want to help.
  • The pitiful state of the shelter moved everyone to tears.
  • Her pitiful performance was criticized by the judges.
  • They offered a pitiful refund for the damaged laptop.
  • The charity survived on a pitiful budget.

View all translations of pitiful

Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
  1. French:pitoyable, méprisable, ...
  2. German:erbärmlich, armselig, ...
  3. Italian:pietoso, patetico, ...
  4. Spanish:lamentable, despreciable, ...
  5. Portuguese:lamentável, desprezível, ...
  6. Chinese:可怜的, 可鄙的, ...
  7. Japanese:哀れな, 情けない, ...
  8. Arabic:يُرْثَى لَهُ, مُثِير لِلشَّفَقَة, ...
  9. Hebrew:מְעוֹרֵר רַחֲמִים, מְבִישׁ, ...
  10. Russian:жалкий, мизерный, ...
  11. Ukrainian:жалісливий, нікчемний, ...
  12. Hindi:करुणाजनक, घटिया, ...

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