What does "pity" mean?
A feeling of sympathy at the misfortune or suffering of someone or something.
Pity
/ˈpɪ.ti/ intj, noun, verb
intj, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A feeling of sympathy at the misfortune or suffering of someone or something.
- Grammar: pity is listed as intj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: compassion, compassionate, abomination, acceptance.
- Useful contrasts: callousness, cruelty, despise.
- Usage evidence: It's a pity when somebody dies.
How to use "pity"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "pity" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "pity" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "pity" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "pity" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "pity" is acting as intj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "compassion" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "pity", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A feeling of sympathy at the misfortune or suffering of someone or something. uncountable
"I can't feel any pity towards the gang, who got injured while attempting to break into a flat."
- 2 the humane quality of understanding the suffering of others and wanting to do something about it wordnet
- 3 Something regrettable. countable
"It's a pity you're feeling unwell because there's a party on tonight."
- 4 an unfortunate development wordnet
- 5 Piety. Early, Modern, countable, obsolete, uncountable
"Euen so on the other syde a mans harte is contrite, when it is cutte with compunction, mollified with pitie and deuotion, moued with prayers and exhortation, is affraide by threatninges, allured by kindnes, ashamed of dishonesty, geuing place to Gods inspiration, […]"
Show 1 more definition
- 6 a feeling of sympathy and sorrow for the misfortunes of others wordnet
Verb
- 1 To feel pity for (someone or something). transitive
"You have got to pity the guy - he lost his wife, mother and job in the same month."
- 2 share the suffering of wordnet
- 3 To make (someone) feel pity; to provoke the sympathy or compassion of. regional, transitive
"She lenger yet is like captiv'd to bee; / That even to thinke thereof it inly pitties mee."
Intj
- 1 Ellipsis of what a pity. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
Antonyms
Example
"It's a pity when somebody dies."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "pity"?
Common synonyms include: compassion, compassionate, abomination, acceptance, ache, afraid.
How do you use "pity" in a sentence?
It's a pity when somebody dies.
How do you pronounce "pity"?
Pronounced /ˈpɪ.ti/.
Etymology
From Middle English pitye, pitie, pittye, pitee, pite, from Anglo-Norman pité, pittee etc., from Old French pitet, pitié, from Latin pietās. See also the doublets pietà and piety.