pity
Part of speech: noun
verb
Morphological type: simple
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.
Inflected forms:
form: pities
pos: noun
tags: plural
form: pittie
pos: noun
tags: alternative
obsolete
form: pitty
pos: noun
tags: alternative
obsolete
form: pitie
pos: noun
tags: alternative
obsolete
form: pities
pos: verb
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: pitying
pos: verb
tags: participle
present
form: pitied
pos: verb
tags: participle
past
form: pitied
pos: verb
tags: past
form: pittie
pos: verb
tags: alternative
obsolete
form: pitty
pos: verb
tags: alternative
obsolete
form: pitie
pos: verb
tags: alternative
obsolete
Senses:
gloss: A feeling of sympathy at the misfortune or suffering of someone or something.
pos: noun
tags: uncountable
examples: I can't feel any pity towards the gang, who got injured while attempting to break into a flat.
take pity on someone
He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord.
He[…]has no more pity in him than a dog.
The most usuall way to appease those minds we have offended […] is, by submission to move them to commiseration and pitty.
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.
gloss: Feeling of contempt one has for someone who is hopelessly inferior.
pos: noun
tags: uncountable
gloss: Something regrettable.
pos: noun
tags: countable
singular
singular-only
examples: 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!
It was a thousand pities.
What pity is it / That we can die but once to serve our country!
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.
gloss: Piety.
pos: noun
tags: Early
Modern
countable
obsolete
uncountable
examples: 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, […]
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.
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.
gloss: To feel pity for (someone or something).
pos: verb
tags: transitive
examples: You have got to pity the guy - he lost his wife, mother and job in the same month.
Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.
Well! the King of France died pardoning & pitying all those who had tortured his Soul & Body, a great Pattern for us all.
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.
gloss: To feel contempt for someone who is hopelessly inferior.
pos: verb
tags: transitive
gloss: To make (someone) feel pity; to provoke the sympathy or compassion of.
pos: verb
tags: regional
transitive
examples: She lenger yet is like captiv'd to bee; / That even to thinke thereof it inly pitties mee.
It pitieth them to see her in the dust.
Synonyms: commiserate
compassion
compassionate
condole
feel someone's pain
feel sorry for
mercify
pity
rue
take pity
Related words: piety
pious
pity fuck
comfort
what a pity
憐惜
Translations: