pity

English

Alternative forms

• pitty (obsolete)

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman pité, pittee etc., from Old French pitet, pitié, from Latin pietās.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈpɪti/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪti

Noun

pity (countable and uncountable but not used in the plural)

1. (uncountable) A feeling of sympathy at the misfortune or suffering of someone or something.
   • 1603, John Florio, translating Michel de Montaigne, Essays, 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.

2. (countable but not used in the plural) Something regrettable.

   It's a pity you're feeling unwell because there's a party on tonight.

   'Tis Pity She's a Whore — title of play by John Ford

Synonyms

• (mercy): ruth
• (something regrettable): shame

Translations

feeling of sympathy

• Arabic: شفقة (ar) (šáfaqa) f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 憐憫 (cmn), 怜悯 (cmn) (liánmǐn)

• Czech: soucit (cs) m
• Dutch: medelijden (nl) n, deernis (nl) f
• Finnish: sääli (fi)
• French: compassion (fr) f, pitié (fr) f
• Georgian: სიბრალული (ka) (sibraluli)
• German: Mitleid (de) n
• Hungarian: könyörület (hu), szánalom (hu)
• Icelandic: samúð (is) m
• Italian: pietà (it) f

• Japanese: 憐れみ (ja) (あわれみ, awaremi)
• Korean: 동정 (ko) (dongjeong)
• Polish: współczucie (pl) n
• Portuguese: compaixão (pt) f, piedade (pt)
• Romanian: compasiune (ro) f, milă (ro) f, compătimire (ro) f
• Russian: жалость (ru) (žálost’) f
• Scottish Gaelic: iochd m, oircheas m, tròcair f, truas m,truacantas (gd) m
• Spanish: compasión (es) f, piedad (es), lástima (es) f
• Swedish: medlidande (sv) c
• Telugu: జాలి (jaali)
• Urdu: افسوس (ur) (afsos)
• Uyghur: ئەپسۈس (ug) (epsus)

something regrettable

• Catalan: llàstima (ca) f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: (adjective used: see entry) 可惜 (cmn) (kěxī)

• Czech: škoda (cs) f
• Dutch: jammer (nl), spijtig (nl)
• Finnish: sääli (fi), ikävä (fi)
• French: dommage (fr) m
• Georgian: სამწუხარო (ka) (samcuxaro), საწყენი (ka) (sacqeni)

• German: schade (de)
• Hungarian: kár (hu)
• Italian: peccato (it) m
• Neapolitan: peccato m
• Polish: szkoda (pl) n
• Portuguese: pena (pt) f
• Romanian: păcat (ro) n
• Scottish Gaelic: beud m, dìobhail m
• Spanish: lástima (es) f

Verb

pity (third-person singular simple present pities, present participle pitying, simple past and past participle pitied)

1. (transitive) To feel pity for (someone or something). [from 15th c.]
2. (transitive, now regional) To make (someone) feel pity; to provoke the sympathy or compassion of. [from 16th c.]
   • 1596, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, IV.11:

     She lenger yet is like captiv'd to bee; / That even to thinke thereof it inly pitties mee.

Translations

to feel pity for someone or something

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 可憐 (cmn), 可怜 (cmn) (kělián)

• Dutch: beklagen (nl)
• Esperanto: kompati (eo)
• Finnish: sääliä (fi)
• French: plaindre (1)

• German: bemitleiden (de), Mitleid haben (de)
• Hebrew: לרחם (he) [leraHem]
• Italian: compatire (it)
• Russian: жалеть (ru) (žalét’) impf., пожалеть (ru) (požalét’) pf.
• Spanish: tener lástima (es)
• Swedish: tycka synd om (sv)

Interjection

pity!

1. Short form of what a pity.

Synonyms

• shame, what a pity, what a shame

Translations

what a pity — see what a pity

Derived terms

• piteous
• pitiable
• pitiful
• self-pity
• what a pity

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Lower Sorbian

Verb

pity

1. perfect passive participle of piś

Declension

Declension of pity

	Masculine singular	Feminine singular	Neuter singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	pity	pita	pite	pitej	pite
Genitive	pitego	piteje	pitego	piteju	pitych
Dative	pitemu	pitej	pitemu	pityma	pitym
Accusative	pity pitego (animate)	pitu	pite	pitej piteju (animate)	pite pitych (optional animate form)
Instrumental	pitym	piteju	pitym	pityma	pitymi
Locative	pitem	pitej	pitem	pityma	pitych