1
as in pathetic
deserving pitying scorn (as for inadequacy)
that piece of junk is a pitiful excuse for a car
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lame
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust
a pitiful coward
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in poor
deserving of one's pity
pitiful orphans who had lost everything in the war
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pitiful
Who knew that banning books, paying teachers pitiful salaries and threatening them with jail if they were caught with salacious book titles would be the holy grail of student success.
—
Letters To The Editor, Orlando Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2025
His second week has been pitiful, a reminder to all of his worst personal flaws.
—Paul Bedard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 1 Feb. 2025
But that resulted in a pitiful rebounding effort and a below-average defense.
—Sabreena Merchant, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025
This isn’t to say Orlok isn’t evil, but that his evilness does not exclude him from being pitiful.
—Alex Abad-Santos, Vox, 10 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pitiful
Letters To The Editor, Orlando Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2025
His second week has been pitiful, a reminder to all of his worst personal flaws.
—Paul Bedard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 1 Feb. 2025
But that resulted in a pitiful rebounding effort and a below-average defense.
—Sabreena Merchant, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025
This isn’t to say Orlok isn’t evil, but that his evilness does not exclude him from being pitiful.
—Alex Abad-Santos, Vox, 10 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pitiful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pitiful
Adjective
-
This is pathetic, as Russia would do everything in their power to interfere in that election.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
19 Feb. 2025
-
This character is just like me – funny and sad, tragic, pathetic and brave, emotionally available but all over the place.—
Stuart Miller,
Orange County Register,
18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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As holidays go, however, Flag Day can feel a bit lame.—
Kevin Fisher-Paulson,
San Francisco Chronicle,
8 June 2021
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My 11-year-old loved watching the pups roll balls and play a giant floor piano, but for non-dog owners (guilty as charged), parts of the series—like dressing dogs in little hats and outfits for a Parisian fashion show—feel lame.—
Tim Neville,
Outside Online,
23 Nov. 2020
Adjective
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And another research team, using data from 2015 to 2022, observed in an article available in Energy Research and Social Science that poor income distribution correlates with social unrest when fossil fuel subsidies are removed.—
Aldo Flores-Quiroga,
Forbes,
1 Mar. 2025
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Federal workers got commendations, awards, positive reviews – and then were fired for 'poor performance' Taxes are coming.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA TODAY,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Oklahoma represents the sad conclusion of the Trail of Tears, and Tulsa serves as the meeting point for tribal nations—the Osage, Muscogee, and Cherokee.—
Nicholas Lalla,
WIRED,
4 Mar. 2025
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Police sad officers began providing aid to Mitchell, but medics later pronounced him dead at the scene.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacramento Bee,
4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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While the private business wealth transfer is well over trillions of dollars, numerous startups are adding value for selling owners and prospective buyers that are cheaper and more efficient than a traditional broker and go beyond a standard classified ad posting.—
Rocio Wu,
Forbes,
26 Feb. 2025
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More upside than any of the legacy guys, cheaper, and far less drama than most of them.—
Mike DeFabo,
The Athletic,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Following Villa’s wretched defeat at Crystal Palace on Tuesday evening, this season’s tally extended to three clean sheets in 28 Premier League fixtures — roughly one in every nine.—
Jacob Tanswell,
The Athletic,
25 Feb. 2025
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Other players have been successful elsewhere, including Tomljanovic and Sam Stosur, who won the 2011 U.S. Open, but both have relatively wretched records in Melbourne.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
The Athletic,
16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Every Look from the 2025 Oscars Red Carpet By Vogue Based on Court of Honor, William P. Wood’s 1991 legal thriller, this Turner Network Television original movie finds Tom Selleck playing a municipal judge who pitches in to help with a government sting operation focused on nailing a dirty judge.—
Nell Beram,
Vogue,
8 Mar. 2025
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More likely, a veteran like Hill or Ford or any number of others — guys who have played a lot and know how to get the dirty work done — could fit.—
Parker Gabriel,
The Denver Post,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Its economic position is parlous, its demographic situation is miserable and its military capacities have atrophied, and most of the chest-thumping about a revival of European power is empty talk and fantasy politics.—
Ross Douthat,
The Mercury News,
4 Mar. 2025
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But running — the exercise that can happen almost anywhere, any time and for very little expense — always felt miserable.—
Madeline Holcombe,
CNN,
2 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pitiful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pitiful. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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