pitiful
adjective
piti·ful ˈpi-ti-fəl 
1
archaic : full of pity : compassionate
2
a
: deserving or arousing pity or commiseration
b
: exciting pitying contempt (as by meanness or inadequacy)
pitiful wages
pitifully
ˈpi-ti-f(ə-)lē
adverb pitifulness
ˈpi-ti-fəl-nəs
noun 
Synonyms
- contemptible
- despicable
- miserable
- pathetic
- pitiable
- sad
- sorry
- wretched
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
She made a pitiful attempt to complete her work. that piece of junk is a pitiful excuse for a car
Recent Examples on the Web Worse, the club’s once pitiful local rivals, Manchester City have eclipsed them thanks to the coaching skills of Pep Guardiola and bankrolled by its wealthy Emirati owner, Sheikh Mansour. 
Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 17 Aug. 2022 Though becoming an e-assassin may seem like old hat, Skyrim’s pitiful group of undeniably charming merry murderers deserves a revisit. Wired, 5 July 2022 Perhaps the biggest improvement could be the battery life, which has been pitiful in previous models of Apple Watch, maxing out at around 18 hours. Wired, 10 July 2022 The state of music journalism in 2022 is pitiful and depressing. Steve Baltin, Forbes, 1 June 2022 But, as anyone who has run the gauntlet of fertility treatment knows, that coverage is often pitiful and hard-won. Kate Willsky, ELLE, 30 Apr. 2022 The women, meanwhile, are reduced to modish caricature: Gertrude, sung by Sarah Connolly, assumes arch poses, while Ophelia, played by Brenda Rae, lurches from pitiful fretting to orgasmic writhing. Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 30 May 2022 Most everybody dismissed the poor, pitiful Miami Heat as mere cannon fodder for the Celts after Boston dominated the Heat in Games 4 and 5 of their Eastern Conference final. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 27 May 2022 Patti Aaron, a spokesperson for the Bureau of Reclamation, told CNN that this is because of several factors — and last winter’s pitiful precipitation played a large role. Angela Fritz, CNN, 26 May 2022 See More
Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 17 Aug. 2022 Though becoming an e-assassin may seem like old hat, Skyrim’s pitiful group of undeniably charming merry murderers deserves a revisit. Wired, 5 July 2022 Perhaps the biggest improvement could be the battery life, which has been pitiful in previous models of Apple Watch, maxing out at around 18 hours. Wired, 10 July 2022 The state of music journalism in 2022 is pitiful and depressing. Steve Baltin, Forbes, 1 June 2022 But, as anyone who has run the gauntlet of fertility treatment knows, that coverage is often pitiful and hard-won. Kate Willsky, ELLE, 30 Apr. 2022 The women, meanwhile, are reduced to modish caricature: Gertrude, sung by Sarah Connolly, assumes arch poses, while Ophelia, played by Brenda Rae, lurches from pitiful fretting to orgasmic writhing. Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 30 May 2022 Most everybody dismissed the poor, pitiful Miami Heat as mere cannon fodder for the Celts after Boston dominated the Heat in Games 4 and 5 of their Eastern Conference final. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 27 May 2022 Patti Aaron, a spokesperson for the Bureau of Reclamation, told CNN that this is because of several factors — and last winter’s pitiful precipitation played a large role. Angela Fritz, CNN, 26 May 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
pitiful
adjective
piti·ful ˈpi-ti-fəl
1
: deserving or causing feelings of pity
a pitiful sight
2
: deserving or causing a feeling of dislike or disgust by not being sufficient or good enough
a pitiful excuse
pitiful
adjective
1
as in pathetic
deserving pitying scorn (as for inadequacy) that piece of junk is a pitiful excuse for a car Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- pathetic
- sad
- miserable
- wretched
- lame
- pitiable
- contemptible
- disgusting
- despicable
- poor
- shameful
- bad
- disgraceful
- sorry
- deplorable
- worthless
- shameful
- abominable
- odious
- notorious
- hateful
- lousy
- ignominious
- stinking
- detestable
- abhorrent
- infamous
- disreputable
- unworthy
- shocking
- discreditable
- dishonorable
- inferior
- beastly
- sordid
- scandalous
- misbegotten
- unsavory
- meritless
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- decent
- admirable
- respectable
- outstanding
- excellent
- worthy
- notable
- commendable
- noteworthy
- creditable
- perfect
- noticeable
- meritorious
- laudable
- praiseworthy
- presentable
- noble
- honorable
- reputable
- redoubtable
- honest
- flawless
- straight
2
as in lame
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust a pitiful coward Synonyms & Similar Words
- lame
- wretched
- cheap
- disgusting
- dirty
- nasty
- hateful
- mean
- pitiable
- deplorable
- contemptible
- paltry
- despicable
- lousy
- vile
- sorry
- sneaking
- scabby
- grubby
- ratty
- scurvy
- shameful
- disgraceful
- loathsome
- abominable
- odious
- cruddy
- scummy
- repulsive
- detestable
- abhorrent
- revolting
- repugnant
- execrable
- shabby
- ignominious
- ignoble
- sordid
- craven
- disreputable
- squalid
- dishonorable
- discreditable
- condemnable
- reprehensible
- reptilian
- cowardly
- base
- unscrupulous
- revulsive
- unprincipled
- dastardly
- low
- unethical
- censurable
- reproachable
- blamable
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- admirable
- laudable
- praiseworthy
- commendable
- creditable
- meritorious
- noble
- honorable
- honest
- good
- redoubtable
- scrupulous
- upright
- moral
- virtuous
- reputable
- righteous
- right
- high-minded
- ethical
- right-minded
- principled
3
as in poor
deserving of one's pity pitiful orphans who had lost everything in the war Synonyms & Similar Words
- pathetic
- poor
- wretched
- miserable
- sorry
- pitiable
- sad
- piteous
- horrible
- terrible
- disturbing
- impressive
- heartbreaking
- deplorable
- lamentable
- rueful
- awful
- regrettable
- mournful
- emotional
- affecting
- inspiring
- heartrending
- moving
- poignant
- touching
- upsetting
- sorrowful
- distressing
- stirring
- woeful
- grievous
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- unimpressive
- uninspiring