5  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Pity  \Pit"y\,  v.  i. 
  To  be  compassionate;  to  show  pity. 
 
  I  will  not  pity,  nor  spare,  nor  have  mercy.  --Jer. 
  xiii.  14. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Pity  \Pit"y\,  v.  t.  [imp.  &  p.  p.  {Pitied};  p.  pr  &  vb  n. 
  {Pitying}.] 
  1.  To  feel  pity  or  compassion  for  to  have  sympathy  with  to 
  compassionate;  to  commiserate;  to  have  tender  feelings 
  toward  (any  one),  awakened  by  a  knowledge  of  suffering. 
 
  Like  as  a  father  pitieth  his  children,  so  the  Lord 
  pitieth  them  that  fear  him  --Ps.  ciii. 
  13. 
 
  2.  To  move  to  pity;  --  used  impersonally.  [Obs.] 
 
  It  pitieth  them  to  see  her  in  the  dust.  --Bk.  of 
  Com.  Prayer. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Pity  \Pit"y\,  n.;  pl  {Pities}.  [OE.  pite,  OF  pit['e], 
  piti['e],  F.  piti['e],  L.  pietas  piety,  kindness,  pity.  See 
  {Pious},  and  cf  {Piety}.] 
  1.  Piety.  [Obs.]  --Wyclif. 
 
  2.  A  feeling  for  the  sufferings  or  distresses  of  another  or 
  others  sympathy  with  the  grief  or  misery  of  another; 
  compassion;  fellow-feeling;  commiseration. 
 
  He  that  hath  pity  upon  the  poor  lendeth  unto  the 
  Lord.  --Prov.  xix. 
  17. 
 
  He  .  .  .  has  no  more  pity  in  him  than  a  dog.  --Shak. 
 
  3.  A  reason  or  cause  of  pity,  grief,  or  regret;  a  thing  to  be 
  regretted.  ``The  more  the  pity.''  --Shak. 
 
  What  pity  is  it  That  we  can  die  but  once  to  serve 
  our  country!  --Addison. 
 
  Note:  In  this  sense  sometimes  used  in  the  plural,  especially 
  in  the  colloquialism:  ``It  is  a  thousand  pities.'' 
 
  Syn:  Compassion;  mercy;  commiseration;  condolence;  sympathy, 
  fellow-suffering;  fellow-feeling.  --  {Pity},  {Sympathy}, 
  {Compassion}.  Sympathy  is  literally  fellow-feeling,  and 
  therefore  requiers  a  certain  degree  of  equality  in 
  situation,  circumstances,  etc.,  to  its  fullest  exercise. 
  Compassion  is  deep  tenderness  for  another  under  severe 
  or  inevitable  misfortune.  Pity  regards  its  object  not 
  only  as  suffering,  but  weak,  and  hence  as  inferior. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  pity 
  n  1:  a  feeling  of  sympathy  and  sorrow  for  the  misfortunes  of 
  others  "the  blind  are  too  often  objects  of  pity"  [syn: 
  {commiseration},  {ruth},  {pathos}] 
  2:  an  unfortunate  development;  "it's  a  pity  he  couldn't  do  it" 
  [syn:  {shame}] 
  3:  the  humane  quality  of  understanding  the  suffering  of  others 
  and  wanting  to  do  something  about  it  [syn:  {compassion}] 
  v  :  share  the  suffering  of  [syn:  {feel  for},  {compassionate},  {condole 
  with},  {sympathize  with}] 
 
  From  THE  DEVIL'S  DICTIONARY  ((C)1911  Released  April  15  1993)  [devils]: 
 
  PITY,  n.  A  failing  sense  of  exemption,  inspired  by  contrast. 
 
 

browse words by letter
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
or search   thesauri dictionary search words