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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pitiful
This isn’t to say Orlok isn’t evil, but that his evilness does not exclude him from being pitiful.
—
Alex Abad-Santos, Vox, 10 Jan. 2025
Perhaps this weekend can be a get-right game against the pitiful New York Jets, but there’s not much to be excited about.
—Fox News Staff, Fox News, 13 Nov. 2024
Mercifully, Newcastle came up against a Leicester side whose setup under Ruud van Nistelrooy was as naive as their defensive performance was pitiful.
—Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024
The Bucs gained 156 yards on 32 carries, with the Giants’ pitiful tackling paving the way to most of those yards.
—Dan Duggan, The Athletic, 24 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pitiful 
Alex Abad-Santos, Vox, 10 Jan. 2025
Perhaps this weekend can be a get-right game against the pitiful New York Jets, but there’s not much to be excited about.
—Fox News Staff, Fox News, 13 Nov. 2024
Mercifully, Newcastle came up against a Leicester side whose setup under Ruud van Nistelrooy was as naive as their defensive performance was pitiful.
—Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024
The Bucs gained 156 yards on 32 carries, with the Giants’ pitiful tackling paving the way to most of those yards.
—Dan Duggan, The Athletic, 24 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pitiful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pitiful
Adjective
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Here, 288 Romanian mercenaries who surrendered to M23 are counted and sent back to Europe, a pathetic and dejected lot.—
Jonathan Granoff,
Newsweek,
29 Jan. 2025
-
Misery-loves-company is a real thing, pathetic but true.—
Greg Cote,
Miami Herald,
20 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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Without education, students with disabilities face higher rates of poverty, unemployment, poor health, and social isolation.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
17 Feb. 2025
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This initiative helped avert potential global famines and boosted incomes for poor farmers, particularly in Asia.—
A.J. Russo,
Baltimore Sun,
17 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Possibly chatting with his new security detail., which reportedly is a sad reality.—
Mac Engel,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Feb. 2025
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The sad truth is many of us saw this last year and knew nothing was going to change.—
Scott Dochterman,
The Athletic,
7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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For example, new builds are cheaper than existing homes in Austin, Texas, where builders have cranked out more (relatively) affordable inventory.—
Brianna Crane,
Axios,
13 Feb. 2025
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Also, when compared to active mutual funds, with an average fee of 1.02%, active ETFs are relatively cheaper.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
13 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Other players have been successful elsewhere, including Tomljanovic and Sam Stosur, who won the 2011 U.S. Open, but both have relatively wretched records in Melbourne.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
The Athletic,
16 Jan. 2025
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That’s good news for drivers who use this wretched thoroughfare and worry that their tires and shocks could not withstand the ruts and ridges of constant travel on a road that looks like it was damaged by mortar fire.—
Jerry Shnay,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Surrounded by plenty of enemies, political and otherwise, the husband and wife have no choice but to get their hands dirty in order to save their son.—
Borys Kit,
The Hollywood Reporter,
10 Feb. 2025
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Evans recommends carving out some time to complete tasks like returning dirty dishes or mugs from elsewhere in the house to the sink.—
Sarah Lyon,
Southern Living,
9 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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In addition to a generally miserable illness, measles can cause complications: 1 in 5 unvaccinated people with measles in the US end up hospitalized.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
7 Feb. 2025
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On the day after the New England Patriots ended their NFL season with a miserable 4-13 record, team owner Robert Kraft fired Jerod Mayo, the team’s first Black head coach.—
Joseph N. Cooper,
The Conversation,
7 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near pitiful
Cite this Entry
“Pitiful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pitiful. Accessed 20 Feb. 2025.
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