pity

pity: [[t]pɪ̱ti[/t]]
pities, pitying, pitied

1) N-UNCOUNT: oft N for n If you feel pity for someone, you feel very sorry for them.

→ See also self-pity

He felt a sudden tender pity for her...

She knew that she was an object of pity among her friends.

2) VERB If you pity someone, you feel very sorry for them.

[V n] I don't know whether to hate or pity him.

3) N-SING: a N, oft it v-link N that/to-inf (feelings) If you say that it is a pity that something is the case, you mean that you feel disappointment or regret about it.

It is a great pity that all pupils in the city cannot have the same chances...

Pity you haven't got your car, isn't it...

It seemed a pity to let it all go to waste.

4) N-UNCOUNT If someone shows pity, they do not harm or punish someone they have power over.

Non-communist forces have some pity towards people here...

She saw no pity in their faces.

Syn:

mercy

5) PHR with cl (feelings) If you add more's the pity to a comment, you are expressing your disappointment or regret about something.

But my world isn't your world, more's the pity.

6) PHRASE: usu PHR with cl (emphasis) You can say for pity's sake to add emphasis to what you are saying, especially when you are annoyed or upset.

`Run, Katherine. For pity's sake run!' he screamed.

7) PHRASE: V inflects If you take pity on someone, you feel sorry for them and help them.

No woman had ever felt the need to take pity on him before.

8) PHRASE: V inflects (emphasis) If you say the pity is that, or the pity of it is that, before a comment, you are emphasizing your disappointment or regret about something.

The pity is that it was all completely unnecessary...

The pity of it was that the Americans didn't play cricket.

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Synonyms:

Compassion, commiseration, mercy, sympathy, fellow-feeling, fellow-suffering, condolence, bowels of compassion, melting mood / Ground of pity, cause of grief, subject of pity, Commiserate, compassionate, sympathize with, feel for, have pity or compassion for, feel sorry for, condole with

Look at other dictionaries:

Pity — implies tender or sometimes slightly contemptuous sorrow for one in misery or distress. By the nineteenth century, two different kinds of pity had come to be distinguished, which we might call benevolent pity and contemptuous pity (see Kimball).… … Wikipedia
pity — [pit′ē] n. pl. pities [ME pite < OFr pitet < L pietas: see PIETY] 1. sorrow felt for another s suffering or misfortune; compassion; sympathy 2. the ability to feel such compassion 3. a cause for sorrow or regret vt., vi. pitied, pitying [ … English World dictionary
Pity — Pit y, n.; pl. {Pities}. [OE. pite, OF. pit[ e], piti[ e], F. piti[ e], L. pietas piety, kindness, pity. See {Pious}, and cf. {Piety}.] 1. Piety. [Obs.] Wyclif. [1913 Webster] 2. A feeling for the sufferings or distresses of another or others;… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
pity — ► NOUN (pl. pities) 1) a feeling of sorrow and compassion caused by the sufferings of others. 2) a cause for regret or disappointment. ► VERB (pities, pitied) ▪ feel pity for. ● for pity s sake … English terms dictionary
pity — (n.) early 13c., from O.Fr. pite, pitet (11c., Mod.Fr. pitié), from L. pietatem (nom. pietas) piety, affection, duty, in L.L. gentleness, kindness, pity, from pius (see PIOUS (Cf. pious)). Replaced O.E. mildheortness, lit. mild heartness, itself… … Etymology dictionary
pity — [n1] feeling of mercy toward another benevolence, charity, clemency, comfort, commiseration, compassion, compunction, condolement, condolence, dejection, distress, empathy, favor, forbearance, goodness, grace, humanity, kindliness, kindness,… … New thesaurus
Pity — Pit y, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Pitied}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Pitying}.] 1. 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. [1913… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Pity — Pit y, v. i. To be compassionate; to show pity. [1913 Webster] I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy. Jer. xiii. 14. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
pity — pity·ing; pity; pity·ing·ly; … English syllables
pity — The type Pity we can t get this to work is an acceptable conversational shortening of It is a pity that… … Modern English usage
Pity — (Pitje), holländische Benennung der japanischen u. chinesischen Scheidemünze, deren man sonst auf Java 50 auf den Stüber rechnete … Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

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