pity

pity
pit|y1 S3 [ˈpıti] n
[Date: 1200-1300; : Old French; Origin: pité, from Latin pietas 'piety, pity', from pius; PIOUS]
1.) a pity
spoken used to show that you are disappointed about something and you wish things could happen differently
= ↑shame (it's a) pity (that)
▪ It's a pity that he didn't accept the job.
▪ It's a great pity Joyce wasn't invited.
▪ I like Charlie. Pity he had to marry that awful woman.
▪ A pity we can't find the guy who did it.
what/that's a pity
▪ 'Are you married?' 'No.' 'What a pity.'
it's a pity to do sth
▪ It would be a pity to give up now - you've nearly finished.
2.) [U]
sympathy for a person or animal who is suffering or unhappy
→↑piteous, pitiable ↑pitiable, pitiful ↑pitiful, pitiless ↑pitiless pity for
▪ He looked exhausted, but Marie felt no pity for him.
▪ I listened to Jason's story with pity.
▪ I hated the thought of being an object of pity (=someone who other people feel sorry for) .
take/have pity on sb
(=feel sorry for someone and treat them with sympathy)
▪ He sounded so upset that Leah started to take pity on him.
3.) for pity's sake
BrE spoken used to show that you are very annoyed and impatient
▪ For pity's sake just shut up and let me drive!
4.) more's the pity
spoken especially BrE used after describing a situation, to show that you wish it was not true
▪ Sue's not coming, more's the pity.
pity 2
pity2 past tense and past participle pitied present participle pitying third person singular pities
v [T not usually in progressive]
to feel sorry for someone because they are in a very bad situation
▪ I pity anyone who has to feed a family on such a low income.
▪ Sam pitied his grandmother there alone, never going out.
▪ Pity the poor teachers who have to deal with these kids.

Dictionary of contemporary English. 2013.

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Synonyms:
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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Pity — implies tender or sometimes slightly contemptuous sorrow for one in misery or distress. By the nineteenth century, two different kinds of pity had come to be distinguished, which we might call benevolent pity and contemptuous pity (see Kimball).… …   Wikipedia

  • pity — [pit′ē] n. pl. pities [ME pite < OFr pitet < L pietas: see PIETY] 1. sorrow felt for another s suffering or misfortune; compassion; sympathy 2. the ability to feel such compassion 3. a cause for sorrow or regret vt., vi. pitied, pitying [ …   English World dictionary

  • 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. [1913 Webster] 2. A feeling for the sufferings or distresses of another or others;… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • pity — ► NOUN (pl. pities) 1) a feeling of sorrow and compassion caused by the sufferings of others. 2) a cause for regret or disappointment. ► VERB (pities, pitied) ▪ feel pity for. ● for pity s sake …   English terms dictionary

  • pity — (n.) early 13c., from O.Fr. pite, pitet (11c., Mod.Fr. pitié), from L. pietatem (nom. pietas) piety, affection, duty, in L.L. gentleness, kindness, pity, from pius (see PIOUS (Cf. pious)). Replaced O.E. mildheortness, lit. mild heartness, itself… …   Etymology dictionary

  • pity — [n1] feeling of mercy toward another benevolence, charity, clemency, comfort, commiseration, compassion, compunction, condolement, condolence, dejection, distress, empathy, favor, forbearance, goodness, grace, humanity, kindliness, kindness,… …   New thesaurus

  • 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. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Pity — Pit y, v. i. To be compassionate; to show pity. [1913 Webster] I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy. Jer. xiii. 14. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • pity — pity·ing; pity; pity·ing·ly; …   English syllables

  • pity — The type Pity we can t get this to work is an acceptable conversational shortening of It is a pity that… …   Modern English usage

  • Pity — (Pitje), holländische Benennung der japanischen u. chinesischen Scheidemünze, deren man sonst auf Java 50 auf den Stüber rechnete …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

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