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
Examples of pitiful in a Sentence
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
Chilling moments like this are the lifeblood of The Dreamed Adventure, the moments that recall the pitiful last days of the dying communist era and the violent, mafia-style economics that whooshed in to replace them.
—
Damon Wise, Deadline, 22 May 2026
There’s a mentality problem — that’s highlighted by a pitiful return of just one point out of a possible 24 away from home this season against teams in the top nine.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 16 May 2026
Will the harsh weather mean poor growth and pitiful harvests?
—Gemma Johnstone, The Spruce, 8 May 2026
Written as a response to the utopian fiction that consumed Russia’s intelligentsia at the time, Notes from Underground is a mirror that reflects the ugliest, most pitiful aspects of humanity back at us.
—Big Think, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pitiful
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Damon Wise, Deadline, 22 May 2026
There’s a mentality problem — that’s highlighted by a pitiful return of just one point out of a possible 24 away from home this season against teams in the top nine.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 16 May 2026
Will the harsh weather mean poor growth and pitiful harvests?
—Gemma Johnstone, The Spruce, 8 May 2026
Written as a response to the utopian fiction that consumed Russia’s intelligentsia at the time, Notes from Underground is a mirror that reflects the ugliest, most pitiful aspects of humanity back at us.
—Big Think, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pitiful
Cite this Entry
“Pitiful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pitiful. Accessed 28 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pitiful
adjective
piti·ful
ˈpit-i-fəl
1
: deserving or arousing pity or sympathy
a pitiful mongrel
2
: deserving pitying scorn (as by not being adequate)
a pitiful excuse
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