pitiful
pronunciation
How to pronounce pitiful in British English:
UK [ˈpɪtɪfl]
How to pronounce pitiful in American English:
US [ˈpɪtɪfl]
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- Adjective:
- inspiring mixed contempt and pity
- bad; unfortunate
- deserving or inciting pity
Word Origin
- pitiful (adj.)
- c. 1300, "merciful, compassionate" (implied in pitifully), from pity + -ful. Sense of "exciting or deserving pity" is from mid-15c.; that of "mean, wretched, contemptible" is 1580s. Related: Pitifulness.
Antonym
Example
- 1. That will read as fake - even pitiful .
- 2. A person who is infected with the virus - looks pitiful .
- 3. The democratic governor and mayor were pitiful .
- 4. The initial investigation by the metropolitan police into phone hacking was pitiful .
- 5. But he initially received only a pitiful $ 200 bonus for his inventions .