pitynoun
uk/ˈpɪt.i/us/ˈpɪt̬.i/B2 [ U ] a feeling of sadness or sympathy for someone else's unhappiness or difficult situation:
The girl stood gazing in/with pity at the old lion in the cage.
She agreed to go out with him more out of pity than anything.
These people don't want pity, they want practical help.
See also
self-pity
A2 [ S ] mainly UK If something is described as a pity, it is disappointing or not satisfactory:
"Can't you go to the party? Oh, that's (such) a pity."
[ + (that) ] It's a pity (that) children spend so little time outside nowadays.
[ + (that) ] Pity (that) you didn't remember to give me the message.
What a pity you're ill!
"I called the restaurant, but they're closed tonight." "Pity."
We'll have to leave early, more's the pity (= and I am unhappy about it).
The pity was that so few people bothered to come.
take pity (on sb)
to feel sorry for someone, and to do something that shows this:
We took pity on a couple of people waiting in the rain for a bus and gave them a lift.
I struggled up the steps with my bags until eventually someone took pity and helped me.
More examples
- It's a pity Christmas has become so commercialized.
- "She can't come." "What a pity."
- I was toiling up the hill with four heavy bags when he took pity on me.
- His heart ached with pity for her.
- They took pity on the stray cat and fed it.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Sympathy & compassion
- a good listener idiom
- a shoulder to cry on idiom
- aw
- bad/hard/tough luck! idiom
- better luck next time idiom
- cloud
- feel for sb
- fellow feeling
- go out to sb
- hard luck! idiom
- hard/tough cheese! idiom
- poor
- relate
- relate to sb
- sad
- sensitive
- shoulder
- solace
- sympathy vote
- understanding
See more results »
pityverb [ T ]
uk/ˈpɪt.i/us/ˈpɪt̬.i/C2 to feel sadness or sympathy for someone's unhappiness or bad situation:
I pity anyone who's never been in love.
He's deeply unhappy, and more to be pitied than criticized.
I pity you having to put up with her at work!
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Sympathy & compassion
- a good listener idiom
- a shoulder to cry on idiom
- aw
- bad/hard/tough luck! idiom
- better luck next time idiom
- cloud
- feel for sb
- fellow feeling
- go out to sb
- hard luck! idiom
- hard/tough cheese! idiom
- poor
- relate
- relate to sb
- sad
- sensitive
- shoulder
- solace
- sympathy vote
- understanding
See more results »