pity

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. Sympathy and sorrow aroused by the misfortune or suffering of another.
2. n. A matter of regret: It's a pity she can't attend the reception.
3. v. To feel pity for.
4. v. To feel pity.
5. idiom. have To show compassion for.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. Sympathetic sorrow for the suffering with another; a feeling which inspires one to relieve the suffering of another.
2. n. An appeal for pity.
3. n. A cause, matter, or source, of regret or grief; a thing to be regretted: as, it is a pity you lost it; it is a thousand pities that it should be so.
4. n. Synonyms pity, Compassion, Commiseration, Sympathy, condolence. Pity is the only one of these words that allows even a tinge of contempt; pity and Compassion come from one who is felt to be so far superior. Sympathy, on the other hand, puts the sufferer and the one sympathizing with him upon an equality by their fellow-feeling. Compassion does not keep so near its derivation; it is deep tenderness of feeling for one who is suffering. Sympathy is equal to compassion in its expression of tenderness. Commiseration is, by derivation, sharing another's misery; condolence is sharing another's grief. Commiseration may and condolence must stand for the communication to another of one's feelings of sorrow for his case. It is some comfort of receive commiseration or condolence; it gives one strength to receive sympathy from a loving heart; it is irksome to need compassion; it galls us to be pitied. Sympathy does not necessarily imply more than kinship of feeling. See also the quotations under condolence.
5. To excite pity in; fill with pity or compassion: used impersonally.
6. To feel pity or compassion for; compassionate; commiserate: as, to pity the blind or their misfortune; to pity the oppressed.
7. Synonyms To sympathize with, feel for. See pity, n.
8. To be compassionate; exercise pity.

Wiktionary

1. n. uncountable A feeling of sympathy at the misfortune or suffering of someone or something.
2. n. Something regrettable.
3. v. transitive To feel pity for (someone or something).
4. interj. Short form of what a pity.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. obsolete Piety.
2. n. A feeling for the sufferings or distresses of another or others; sympathy with the grief or misery of another; compassion; fellow-feeling; commiseration.
3. n. A reason or cause of pity, grief, or regret; a thing to be regretted.
4. v. To feel pity or compassion for; to have sympathy with; to compassionate; to commiserate; to have tender feelings toward (any one), awakened by a knowledge of suffering.
5. v. obsolete To move to pity; -- used impersonally.
6. v. To be compassionate; to show pity.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. a feeling of sympathy and sorrow for the misfortunes of others
2. n. an unfortunate development
3. n. the humane quality of understanding the suffering of others and wanting to do something about it
4. v. share the suffering of