as in merciful
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as in loving
to have sympathy for
I always pity the people who have to work in this freezing weather
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pitying
Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
Twenty-first-century indie shaped the identities of many Millennials, but it’s now often talked about with pitying nostalgia—as the bygone style of hipsters with handlebar mustaches pretending to be countercultural while making easy-listening music for hotel lobbies.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 29 Aug. 2025
Verb
Having failed to secure a ticket, I was taunted with pitying one-upmanship by acquaintances who had had more success.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
Twenty-first-century indie shaped the identities of many Millennials, but it’s now often talked about with pitying nostalgia—as the bygone style of hipsters with handlebar mustaches pretending to be countercultural while making easy-listening music for hotel lobbies.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pitying
Adjective
-
Would Homelander be merciful and spare just this one?—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The merciful end came three weeks after Sunderland’s surrender to relegation in May 2017.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But, even if Church’s propensity to recruit nature for heavy-handed symbolism can seem too much today, something about his work—some combination of thrilling ambition, tact tethered to empiricism, and loving tenderness—continues to magnetize our spectacle-jaded eyes.—
Sebastian Smee,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
There are some clever exchanges, deep confessions and fun-loving moments involving breakfast cereal and TV reruns.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
Some are quite tolerant of drought and others prefer moist planting sites.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
3 May 2026
-
Several of my roses fall squarely into the tolerant category.—
Rita Perwich,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 May 2026
Adjective
-
Bahrain revoked citizenship from 69 individuals accused of being sympathetic to Iran.—
Dominic Dudley,
semafor.com,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Several justices seemed sympathetic to the company’s argument that it can’t be sued under state law because federal regulators have found Roundup likely doesn’t cause cancer.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
That’s why understanding how carbon monoxide detectors work is essential for protecting your household.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
20 Jan. 2026
-
Chastain, who is the lead star and an executive producer of the series, was not especially understanding.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Her work in 2025 included helping roll out clinical safety initiatives, participating in investigations aimed at improving patient outcomes and supporting quality-of-care programs across the hospital.—
Nancy Badertscher,
AJC.com,
7 May 2026
-
The focus should be on patient health, not corporate profits.—
Mercury News & East Bay Times Editorial Boards,
Mercury News,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
With the economy in the doldrums, the public is less forbearing.—
Jeff Kingston,
Time,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Mercedes says the sedan can travel 472 miles on a single charge, but that estimate was reached using the more forgiving WLTP testing standard.—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
20 Apr. 2026
-
But while gardening is a relatively forgiving process that can be adjusted over time, there are certain spring gardening do’s and don’ts that may dramatically alter the health of your plants and your garden for the entire growing season.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pitying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pitying. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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