1
as in pathetic
deserving pitying scorn (as for inadequacy)
that piece of junk is a pitiful excuse for a car
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lame
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust
a pitiful coward
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in poor
deserving of one's pity
pitiful orphans who had lost everything in the war
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of pitiful
There’s a pitiful quality to Armand’s seeming inability to understand love as an emotion that can’t be negotiated or strong-armed, and Zaman captures that aspect of the character in his soft eyes and pleading line deliveries, too.
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Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 2 July 2024
The credit is non-existent, the pay pitiful given the expertise involved.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 19 Nov. 2024
Just about every memory of his father and uncle turns on the question of masculinity, how manly qualities must triumph over the pitiful feminine.
—Robert Rubsam, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2024
Meanwhile, nearly one-third of election offices don’t have any full-time staff, wages are pitiful, and turnover rates grew from 28 percent in 2004—already high—to nearly 39 percent in 2022.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 25 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pitiful 
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 2 July 2024
The credit is non-existent, the pay pitiful given the expertise involved.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 19 Nov. 2024
Just about every memory of his father and uncle turns on the question of masculinity, how manly qualities must triumph over the pitiful feminine.
—Robert Rubsam, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2024
Meanwhile, nearly one-third of election offices don’t have any full-time staff, wages are pitiful, and turnover rates grew from 28 percent in 2004—already high—to nearly 39 percent in 2022.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 25 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pitiful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pitiful
Adjective
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In the final, pathetic weeks of his failed presidency, Joe Biden has been casting about desperately for a positive legacy.Jack Butler, National Review, 12 Jan. 2025
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The 10th pick will be your usual pathetic Bear player.Jon Greenberg, The Athletic, 5 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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As holidays go, however, Flag Day can feel a bit lame.Kevin Fisher-Paulson, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 June 2021
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My 11-year-old loved watching the pups roll balls and play a giant floor piano, but for non-dog owners (guilty as charged), parts of the series—like dressing dogs in little hats and outfits for a Parisian fashion show—feel lame.Tim Neville, Outside Online, 23 Nov. 2020
Adjective
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Everybody connected to the death of this poor guy is dead now.Makena Gera, People.com, 12 Jan. 2025
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With sleep disorders affecting approximately 70 million Americans and poor sleep linked to serious health risks like heart disease, stroke and cognitive decline, the Tone Buds represent a significant advancement in personal sleep technology.Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report, Fox News, 12 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Of what relevance is an absurdist fable, written in German, about a sad man who transforms into an insect, to an American teenager in the twenty-first century?Harper's Magazine, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
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The sad scenes that accompanied Rooney’s final game at Oxford felt a long way from the surge of optimism that greeted his arrival in Devon on a three-year contract in May.Richard Amofa, The Athletic, 1 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The 25-year-old is cheap, still a season away from salary arbitration eligibility, also plays the corner outfield spots, and won’t be a free agent until after the 2028 season.Brendan Kuty, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
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New England legislators and regulators consistently blocked building additional pipelines from the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and other regions in the U.S. and Canada, which could bring cheap, onshore natural gas to replace fuel oil.Ariel Cohen, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Bummer enough the wretched weather here kept them from returning Sunday night.Vahe Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 6 Jan. 2025
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Last season the Red Sox blew 31 saves, second most in MLB behind only the wretched White Sox.Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 1 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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This set also comes with a shoe bag that has two compartments and can double as a laundry bag for dirty clothes during your trip.Rachel Trujillo, Travel + Leisure, 8 Jan. 2025
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The door to the laundry room is made of textured glass, so dirty clothes are hidden, but light continues to flow into the apartment.Katharina Schwarze, Architectural Digest, 7 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Here’s a player who never takes his foot off the gas, who can make life miserable for the opposition in front of the net and in the corners, and who fills the net to boot.Joshua Kloke, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024
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Yet their return to the longer format in the second half of 2024 was almost unremittingly miserable.Tim Ellis, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near pitiful
Cite this Entry
“Pitiful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pitiful. Accessed 17 Jan. 2025.
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