i Register
In some senses, pitiful is marked as archaic, colloquial. Watch for register when choosing this word.
pitiful
/ˈpɪt.ɪ.fl̩/
adj 3adv 1
Collocations
4ADJ.
blue, old, old, unlucky
VERB + PITIFUL
am, eyes, followed, show
PITIFUL + NOUN
blindness, climate, extent, number, ohio, sight, story, students
PREP.
in, into, on, with
Definitions
adj
1
So appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it; eliciting pity.
Scotland has a pitiful climate.
2
Of an amount or number: very small.
A pitiful number of students bothered to turn up.
3
Feeling pity; merciful.
Some ſay that Rauens foſter forlorne children, / The vvhilſt their ovvne birds famiſh in their neſts: / Oh be to me though thy hard hart ſay no, / Nothing ſo kinde but ſomething pittifull.
Straightway, he now goes on to make a full confession; whereupon the mariners became more and more appalled, but still are pitiful.
adv
1
In a pitiful manner; pitifully; piteously; pathetically.
‘She followed ’em, cryin’ pitiful, to the old boat on the Wall[.]’
Thesaurus
Idioms & Phrases
Example Bank
601
Scotland has a pitiful climate.
Wiktionary02
A pitiful number of students bothered to turn up.
Wiktionary03
Some ſay that Rauens foſter forlorne children, / The vvhilſt their ovvne birds famiſh in their neſts: / Oh be to me though thy hard hart ſay no, / Nothing ſo kinde but ſomething pittifull.
Wiktionary04
‘She followed ’em, cryin’ pitiful, to the old boat on the Wall[.]’
Wiktionary05
The pitiful sight moved us to tears.
Tatoeba · #2038106
The little girl, deeply moved by the old man's pitiful story, burst into tears.
Tatoeba · #46423Usage Notes
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