pitiful
adjective
piti·ful
ˈpi-ti-fəl 
1
archaic
: full of pity : compassionate
2
a
: deserving or arousing pity or commiseration
b
: exciting pitying contempt (as by meanness or inadequacy)
pitiful wages
Synonyms
Examples of pitiful in a Sentence
She made a pitiful attempt to complete her work.
that piece of junk is a pitiful excuse for a car
Recent Examples on the Web
Who knew that banning books, paying teachers pitiful salaries and threatening them with jail if they were caught with salacious book titles would be the holy grail of student success?
—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 11 Feb. 2025
Who knew that banning books, paying teachers pitiful salaries and threatening them with jail if they were caught with salacious book titles would be the holy grail of student success.
—Letters To The Editor, Orlando Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2025
His second week has been pitiful, a reminder to all of his worst personal flaws.
—Paul Bedard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 1 Feb. 2025
But that resulted in a pitiful rebounding effort and a below-average defense.
—Sabreena Merchant, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for pitiful 
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Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 11 Feb. 2025
Who knew that banning books, paying teachers pitiful salaries and threatening them with jail if they were caught with salacious book titles would be the holy grail of student success.
—Letters To The Editor, Orlando Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2025
His second week has been pitiful, a reminder to all of his worst personal flaws.
—Paul Bedard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 1 Feb. 2025
But that resulted in a pitiful rebounding effort and a below-average defense.
—Sabreena Merchant, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for pitiful
Dictionary Entries Near pitiful
Cite this Entry
“Pitiful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pitiful. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pitiful
adjective
piti·ful
ˈpit-i-fəl
1
: deserving or arousing pity or sympathy
a pitiful mongrel
2
: deserving pitying scorn (as by not being adequate)
a pitiful excuse
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