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pity. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
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English
Alternative forms
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.
Pronunciation
Noun
pity (countable and uncountable, plural pities)
- (uncountable) A feeling of sympathy at the misfortune or suffering of someone or something.
I can't feel any pity towards the gang, who got injured while attempting to break into a flat.
take pity on someone
c. 1590–1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :He […] has no more pity in him than a dog.
- , Folio Society, 2006, p.5:
- The most usuall way to appease those minds we have offended is, by submission to move them to commiseration and pitty.
2012, BioWare, Mass Effect 3 (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →OCLC, PC, scene: Prologue: Earth:Shepard: The Reapers are more advanced than we are. More powerful. More intelligent. They don't fear us, and they'll never take pity on us.
- (countable) Something regrettable.
It's a pity you're feeling unwell because there's a party on tonight.
What a pity about the band breaking up. I loved them!
1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. , London: J Tonson, , published 1713, →OCLC, Act I, scene v, page 1:What pity is it / That we can die but once to serve our country!
1941 September, O. S. Nock, “The Locomotives of Sir Nigel Gresley: Part V”, in Railway Magazine, page 395:It is a thousand pities that no more detailed records than those of the guard's journals are available, but enough is known to establish them firmly among the finest feats ever achieved by "A3" Pacifics.
- (obsolete, Early Modern) Piety.
1558, Thomas Watson, Holsome and Catholyke doctryne concerninge the seuen Sacramentes of Chrystes Church, , folio 105v: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, […]
1573, James Sanforde, transl., The Garden of Pleasure , folio 58v:A maruellous stoutnesse of a mans minde, accompanied vvith pitie tovvardes his countrie.
When Lucius Scilla had ouercom by force of armes the Citie of Preyneste he gaue leaue and commission to the Souldiers that they should destroye it, and kyll all the Citizens sauing his Host, meaning with this good turne to shewe himselfe thankfull vnto hym, for manye curtesies receiued of hym at other times in his lodging. But that valiant Citizen hering of this commission, went foorth incontinently out of his house disguised & preasing in among other of his countrimen, sayd, that he had rather die, than owe his life to the destroyer of his countrie.
1579 July 19, John Dyos, A Sermon preached at Paules Crosse the 19. of Iuli 1579 , published 1579, folios 48v–49r:The Church of Rome beyng moued neither with pitie, zeale, truth, reasõ, nor honesty, but onely with ambition and couetousnesse refuseth none, so they will shew thẽ selues to be of that Catholicke Church. Traytours, murtherers, theeues, coseners, cutters, adulters, baudes, strumpets and all other gracelesse persons may vpon the sayd cõditiõ haue safe accesse to Rome and be of that Church.
Synonyms
Translations
feeling of sympathy
- Arabic: شَفَقَة f (šafaqa)
- Egyptian Arabic: شفقة f (šafaʔa)
- Palestinian Arabic: شفقة f (šáfaʔa)
- Armenian: խղճահարություն (hy) (xġčaharutʻyun)
- Assamese: পুতৌ (putou)
- Belarusian: жаль m (žalʹ), лі́тасць f (lítascʹ), жа́ласць f (žálascʹ)
- Bulgarian: жа́лост (bg) f (žálost)
- Catalan: pietat (ca) f
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 憐憫/怜悯 (zh) (liánmǐn)
- Czech: soucit (cs) m, lítost (cs) f
- Danish: medlidenhed c
- Dutch: medelijden (nl) n, deernis (nl) f
- Esperanto: kompato
- Finnish: sääli (fi)
- French: compassion (fr) f, pitié (fr) f
- Galician: compaixón f, piedade (gl) f, macela (gl) f, amerceamento m
- Georgian: სიბრალული (sibraluli)
- German: Mitleid (de) n
- Gothic: 𐌱𐌻𐌴𐌹𐌸𐌴𐌹 f (bleiþei)
- Greek: οίκτος (el) m (oíktos)
- Ancient: ἔλεος n (éleos), οἶκτος m (oîktos), οἰκτιρμός m (oiktirmós), ἐλεημοσύνη f (eleēmosúnē), ἐλεητύς f (eleētús), συμπάθεια f (sumpátheia), σπλάγχνον n (splánkhnon)
- Hungarian: könyörület (hu), szánalom (hu), együttérzés (hu), irgalom (hu)
- Icelandic: samúð (is) m
- Irish: trua f
- Italian: pietà (it) f
- Japanese: 憐れみ (ja) (あわれみ, awaremi), 同情 (ja) (どうじょう, dōjō)
- Korean: 동정(同情) (ko) (dongjeong)
- Latin: misericordia (la) f
- Macedonian: жалост f (žalost)
- Malayalam: സഹതാപം (ml) (sahatāpaṁ)
- Maori: whakaaroha, aroha (mi)
- Occitan: pietat (oc) f
- Ottoman Turkish: رحم (rahm)
- Plautdietsch: Jauma n, Jaumahoat n
- Polish: współczucie (pl) n, litość (pl) f
- Portuguese: pena (pt) f
- Romanian: compasiune (ro) f, milă (ro) f, compătimire (ro) f
- Russian: жа́лость (ru) f (žálostʹ), сострада́ние (ru) n (sostradánije), сочу́вствие (ru) n (sočúvstvije)
- Sanskrit: करुणा (sa) f (karuṇā), दया (sa) f (dayā)
- Scottish Gaelic: iochd m, oircheas m, tròcair f, truas m, truacantas m
- Sicilian: cumpiatà f
- Slovak: súcit m, ľútosť f
- Spanish: compasión (es) f, piedad (es), lástima (es) f
- Swedish: medlidande (sv) c, medömkan
- Tarifit: aziǧez m
- Telugu: జాలి (te) (jāli)
- Thai: การสงสาร (th) (gaan-sǒng-sǎan)
- Tocharian B: karuṃ
- Turkish: şefkat (tr), merhamet (tr), acıma (tr)
- Ukrainian: жаль m (žalʹ), жа́лість f (žálistʹ)
- Urdu: افسوس (afsos), ہمدردی (hamdardī)
- Uyghur: ئەپسۈس (epsüs)
- Welsh: trueni (cy) m
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something regrettable
- Belarusian: жаль m (žalʹ)
- Bulgarian: жал (bg) m (žal)
- Catalan: llàstima (ca) f
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: (adjective used: see entry) 可惜 (zh) (kěxī)
- Czech: škoda (cs) f
- Danish: synd (da) c
- Dutch: jammer (nl), spijtig (nl)
- Esperanto: domaĝo
- Finnish: sääli (fi), ikävä (fi)
- French: dommage (fr) m, honte (fr)
- Galician: pena (gl) f, mágoa (gl) f
- Georgian: სამწუხარო (samc̣uxaro), საწყენი (sac̣q̇eni)
- German: schade (de)
- Hungarian: kár (hu)
- Irish: trua f
- Italian: peccato (it) m
- Japanese: 残念 (ja) (ざんねん, zannen)
- Neapolitan: peccato m
- Polish: szkoda (pl) n
- Portuguese: pena (pt) f, lástima (pt) f
- Romanian: păcat (ro) n
- Russian: жаль (ru) f (žalʹ), сожале́ние (ru) n (sožalénije)
- Scottish Gaelic: beud m, dìobhail m
- Slovak: škoda f
- Spanish: lástima (es) f, pena (es) f
- Swedish: synd (sv) c
- Thai: ความน่าเสียดาย (kwaam-nâa-sǐia-daai)
- Ukrainian: жаль m (žalʹ)
- Welsh: trueni (cy) m
- Yiddish: שאָד m (shod)
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Verb
pity (third-person singular simple present pities, present participle pitying, simple past and past participle pitied)
- (transitive) To feel pity for (someone or something).
You have got to pity the guy - he lost his wife, mother and job in the same month.
1902, Hilaire Belloc, The Path to Rome:Nor could she get round them on a single point, and I pitied her so much that I bought bread and wine off her to console her, and I let her overcharge me, and went out into the afterglow with her benediction, followed also by the farewells of the middle-class, who were now taking their coffee at little tables outside the house.
- (transitive, now regional) To make (someone) feel pity; to provoke the sympathy or compassion of.
a. 1681, Richard Allestree, Of Gods Method in giving Deliverance:It pitieth them to see her in the dust.
Translations
to feel pity for someone or something
— see also take pity
- Arabic: شَفِقَ (šafiqa)
- Armenian: խղճալ (hy) (xġčal)
- Belarusian: шкадава́ць impf (škadavácʹ), пашкадава́ць pf (paškadavácʹ), лі́таваць impf (lítavacʹ)
- Cherokee: ᎦᏙᎵᎦ (gadoliga)
- Chinese:
- Cantonese: 可憐/可怜 (ho2 lin4)
- Mandarin: 可憐/可怜 (zh) (kělián)
- Czech: litovat (cs) impf, mít soucit impf (s kým), být líto (cs) impf (koho)
- Dutch: beklagen (nl)
- Esperanto: kompati
- Finnish: sääliä (fi)
- French: plaindre (fr), avoir pitié de
- Galician: condoer, coudecer, amercear
- German: bemitleiden (de), Mitleid haben mit
- Greek: λυπάμαι (el) (lypámai), οικτίρω (el) (oiktíro)
- Ancient: ἐλεέω (eleéō), ἐλεαίρω (eleaírō), οἰκτίρω (oiktírō), οἰμώζω (oimṓzō), ὀλοφύρομαι (olophúromai)
- Hebrew: רָחַם (he) (rakhám)
- Hungarian: megkönyörül (hu), megszán (hu), megesik rajta a szíve
- Irish: trua a bheith agat do
- Old Irish: ar·cessi
- Italian: compatire (it)
- Japanese: 同情する (ja) (どうじょうする, dōjō suru), 気の毒に思う (きのどくにおもう, ki no doku ni omou)
- Korean: 애처롭게 생각하다 (aecheoropge saenggakhada), 안타까워하다 (ko) (antakkawohada), 불쌍히 생각하다 (bulssanghi saenggakhada), 동정하다 (ko) (dongjeonghada)
- Ladino: adjidear
- Latin: misereor, miseret
- Malayalam: സഹതപിക്കുക (sahatapikkuka)
- Maori: whakaaroha
- Ngazidja Comorian: usikinia
- Polish: żałować (pl) impf, pożałować (pl) pf
- Portuguese: apiedar-se de, sentir dó de, sentir compaixão por
- Russian: жале́ть (ru) impf (žalétʹ), пожале́ть (ru) pf (požalétʹ)
- Slovak: ľutovať impf, mať súcit s impf
- Spanish: tener lástima, compadecer (es)
- Swedish: tycka synd om (sv)
- Thai: สงสาร (th) (sǒng-sǎan)
- Tocharian B: wärs-
- Ukrainian: жалі́ти impf (žalíty), пожалі́ти pf (požalíty), жа́лувати impf (žáluvaty), шкодува́ти impf (škoduváty), пошкодува́ти pf (poškoduváty)
- Urdu: ترس (taras), ترس آنا (taras ānā)
- Vietnamese: tội nghiệp (vi), tội (vi)
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Interjection
pity!
- Ellipsis of what a pity.
Synonyms
Translations
Derived terms
Czech
Pronunciation
Participle
pity
- inflection of pít:
- inanimate masculine plural passive participle
- feminine plural passive participle
Lower Sorbian
Pronunciation
Participle
pity
- past passive participle of piś
Declension
Polish
Pronunciation
Participle
pity (passive adjectival)
- masculine singular passive adjectival participle of pić
Declension
Declension of pity (hard)
Noun
pity f
- inflection of pita:
- genitive singular
- nominative/accusative/vocative plural