英语词汇“pitiable”的英英意思、用法、释义、翻译、读音、例句、短语、词组-英语词典

adj

Pitiable describes something that's pathetic or miserable. After learning about the pitiable conditions of schools in parts of rural India, you might decide to donate supplies to them.

Just looking at pitiable gives you clues to its meaning. Pity is a feeling of sorrow for someone or something else, so something that's pitiable is worthy of pity. There's often a little bit of scorn thrown in, like the pitiable amount of cereal your stingy grandmother pours in your bowl at breakfast. In this case, there's some blame cast on the grandmother because she chooses to give so little cereal.

CHOOSE YOUR WORDS

pitiable / pitiful / piteous / pitiless

We don't often look at four words that can be easily confused for each other, but this pack is an exception. Let's start with our base word: pity. Pity is to feel sorrow or compassion for someone's misfortunes or sorrows. It can also be something that causes sorrow or disappointment:

Pity the misunderstood conifer: Evergreens' many benefits overlooked

Pitiless, then, is without (-less) pity, lacking compassion. Pitiless can be cruel or merciless:

Hell, on the other hand, will be like having to read an unauthorised biography of yourself written by a pitiless researcher who has exposed your secrets.

Pitiable, piteous, and pitiful all mean some shade of deserving pity. Let's see if we can untangle the differences. Piteous and pitiable both mean being deserving of pity:

A single drought could spell the end of a society and doom its inhabitants to piteous deaths.

Barb tried to comfort me as Rusty looked on, giving me a pitiable shake of the head.

Pitiable is found 10 times as often, however, as piteous in Google News search results. Because of this difference, piteous has become a more archaic, poetic word, while pitiable remains more common. The latter also means scornfully small or poor:

All of these foods proffer very pitiable nutritional value, and it consequently makes no sense at all to carry on eating them.

Which brings us to pitiful. It, too, means deserving of pity and carries that second meaning of scornfully small or poor. It's used, though, in a much more negative sense, giving rise to feelings of contempt rather than compassion:

They are asking what is this pitiful circus financed with millions of their tax dollars.

Maine Gubernatorial Coverage: Sloppy, Pointless, Pitiful

Union chief endorses 'pitiful' bonus deal for Palm Beach County

If you want to say, then, that something deserves pity, pitiable is your best choice. If you're looking for a more poetic phrasing, go with piteous. A contemptuous meaning wants pitiful. And if you're all out of pity, go with pitiless.

WORD FAMILY

pitiable: pitiablest, pitiably+/piteous: piteously/pitiful: pitifulest, pitifully/pitiless: pitilessly, pitilessness/pity: piteous, pitiable, pitied, pities, pitiful, pitiless, pitying, self-pity/pitying: unpitying/unpitying: unpityingly

USAGE EXAMPLES

The pitiable pictures from the devastated city showed the true cost of Obama’s abdication.

Washington Post(Dec 22, 2016)

Some confused Texans, for their pitiful and pitiable part, claim that they invented cheese dip.

Washington Times(Nov 08, 2016)

She lay on her stomach, feeling like a stupid, pitiable animal, and hissed as Mariam arranged damp cloths across her bloodied back and thighs.

Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns(2007)

1adj deserving or inciting pity

pitiable homeless children

Syn

hapless, miserable, misfortunate, pathetic, piteous, pitiful, poor, wretched
unfortunate

not favored by fortune; marked or accompanied by or resulting in ill fortune

2adj inspiring mixed contempt and pity

pitiable lack of character

Syn

pathetic, pitiful
contemptible

deserving of contempt or scorn

单词	pitiable
释义	pitiable (once / 1889 pages) adj Pitiable describes something that's pathetic or miserable. After learning about the pitiable conditions of schools in parts of rural India, you might decide to donate supplies to them. Just looking at pitiable gives you clues to its meaning. Pity is a feeling of sorrow for someone or something else, so something that's pitiable is worthy of pity. There's often a little bit of scorn thrown in, like the pitiable amount of cereal your stingy grandmother pours in your bowl at breakfast. In this case, there's some blame cast on the grandmother because she chooses to give so little cereal. CHOOSE YOUR WORDS pitiable / pitiful / piteous / pitiless We don't often look at four words that can be easily confused for each other, but this pack is an exception. Let's start with our base word: pity. Pity is to feel sorrow or compassion for someone's misfortunes or sorrows. It can also be something that causes sorrow or disappointment: Pity the misunderstood conifer: Evergreens' many benefits overlooked Pitiless, then, is without (-less) pity, lacking compassion. Pitiless can be cruel or merciless: Hell, on the other hand, will be like having to read an unauthorised biography of yourself written by a pitiless researcher who has exposed your secrets. Pitiable, piteous, and pitiful all mean some shade of deserving pity. Let's see if we can untangle the differences. Piteous and pitiable both mean being deserving of pity: A single drought could spell the end of a society and doom its inhabitants to piteous deaths. Barb tried to comfort me as Rusty looked on, giving me a pitiable shake of the head. Pitiable is found 10 times as often, however, as piteous in Google News search results. Because of this difference, piteous has become a more archaic, poetic word, while pitiable remains more common. The latter also means scornfully small or poor: All of these foods proffer very pitiable nutritional value, and it consequently makes no sense at all to carry on eating them. Which brings us to pitiful. It, too, means deserving of pity and carries that second meaning of scornfully small or poor. It's used, though, in a much more negative sense, giving rise to feelings of contempt rather than compassion: They are asking what is this pitiful circus financed with millions of their tax dollars. Maine Gubernatorial Coverage: Sloppy, Pointless, Pitiful Union chief endorses 'pitiful' bonus deal for Palm Beach County If you want to say, then, that something deserves pity, pitiable is your best choice. If you're looking for a more poetic phrasing, go with piteous. A contemptuous meaning wants pitiful. And if you're all out of pity, go with pitiless. WORD FAMILY pitiable: pitiablest, pitiably+/piteous: piteously/pitiful: pitifulest, pitifully/pitiless: pitilessly, pitilessness/pity: piteous, pitiable, pitied, pities, pitiful, pitiless, pitying, self-pity/pitying: unpitying/unpitying: unpityingly USAGE EXAMPLES The pitiable pictures from the devastated city showed the true cost of Obama’s abdication. Washington Post(Dec 22, 2016) Some confused Texans, for their pitiful and pitiable part, claim that they invented cheese dip. Washington Times(Nov 08, 2016) She lay on her stomach, feeling like a stupid, pitiable animal, and hissed as Mariam arranged damp cloths across her bloodied back and thighs. Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns(2007) 1adj deserving or inciting pity pitiable homeless children Syn hapless, miserable, misfortunate, pathetic, piteous, pitiful, poor, wretched unfortunate not favored by fortune; marked or accompanied by or resulting in ill fortune 2adj inspiring mixed contempt and pity pitiable lack of character Syn pathetic, pitiful contemptible deserving of contempt or scorn
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