Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- adj. Demanding or arousing pity: a piteous appeal for help. See Synonyms at pathetic.
- adj. Archaic Pitying; compassionate.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- Full of pity or compassion; compassionate; affected by pity.
- Such as to excite pity or move to compassion; affecting; lamentable; sorrowful; mournful; sad: as, a piteous look; a piteous case.
- Pitiful; paltry; poor: as, piteous amends. Milton. Synonyms Doleful, woful, rueful, wretched, distressing.
Wiktionary
- adj. Of or pertaining to a pitiful state or condition.
GNU Webster's 1913
- adj. Pious; devout.
- adj. Evincing pity, compassion, or sympathy; compassionate; tender.
- adj. Fitted to excite pity or sympathy; wretched; miserable; lamentable; sad.
- adj. Paltry; mean; pitiful.
WordNet 3.0
- adj. deserving or inciting pity
Etymologies
- Middle English, from Old French piteus, from Late Latin pietōsus, merciful, from Latin pietās, compassion; see piety.
Examples
““O my lady, I am a banisht wight and with passion for a beloved one in piteous plight, nor with other will I consent to love-delight.””
“It does not become the young man of the period to imitate too closely his ancestral Father Adam, and cry out in piteous tones: --”
A Manual of Etiquette with Hints on Politeness and Good Breeding
“He fell, calling in piteous tones to a padre who was in the coach, entreating him to stop and confess him, and groaning out a farewell to his friend the driver.”
Life in Mexico, During a Residence of Two Years in That Country
“How piteous is the case of mankind, which thus seems to be in a combination against itself, and its own rights and liberties, which could not be ruined but by its own strength!”
“Multitudes perish by famine, a very sore judgment, and piteous is the case of those that fall under it.”
“That which makes his case the more piteous is that he is not himself aware of his misery and danger; he goes blindfold, nay, he goes laughing to his ruin.”
Commentary on the Whole Bible Volume III (Job to Song of Solomon)
“I think there is a better word than 'piteous' -- yes, Clement had just told it me.”
“Isidore recalled the piteous words uttered by Marguerite as she dropped the letter, and the truth flashed across his mind at once.”
“To this day I recall the piteous expressions of two or three of these wounded horses, as they raised their heads in their suffering and looked at us as we passed between them.”
Arthur Peronneau Ford. "Life in the Confederate Army; Being Personal Experiences ..."
“Such it appears, at least, from the Place Saint André des Arts. Symbolically it might be called a piteous appeal, always rejected by souls hardened and hammered by vice, of that anvil which was only an optical illusion, and that very real bell.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘piteous’.
-
The Pits
armpit, pit, pits, cockpit, pity, pithy, pit bull terrier, pit boss, pit stop, pitcher, fire pit, peach pit and 76 more...
-
Fun To Say & Use
Words that I may or may not use comfortably, but enjoy using and I like the sound of the word.
verisimilitude, unequivocal, ampersand, moxie-berry, drubbing, dodecahedron, piteous, charisma
Comments
No comments yet...
Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.