pitiable

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈpɪtiəbəl/ UK /ˈpɪtiəbəl/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
deserving or arousing pity

The refugees were in a pitiable condition.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · deserving or arousing pity pitiful piteous pathetic lamentable wretched deplorable sorry woeful

Opposites

enviable admirable fortunate

Word family

Forms pitiably

Derived forms pitiablypitiableness

Related forms pity pitiful piteous pious

Etymology

From Old French pitoiable ('compassionate, deserving pity'), from pitoier ('to pity'), from pite ('pity'), from Latin pietas ('piety, compassion'), from pius ('dutiful').

pietas Latin pius Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# pitiable

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈpɪtiəbəl/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈpɪtiəbəl/

## Meanings
1. deserving or arousing pity

## Examples
- The refugees were in a pitiable condition.

## Synonyms
- pitiful
- piteous
- pathetic
- lamentable
- wretched
- deplorable
- sorry
- woeful

## Antonyms
- enviable
- admirable
- fortunate

## Derived Forms
- pitiably
- pitiableness

## Related Forms
- pity
- pitiful
- piteous
- pious

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: pietas
- Root: pius

## Etymology
From Old French pitoiable ('compassionate, deserving pity'), from pitoier ('to pity'), from pite ('pity'), from Latin pietas ('piety, compassion'), from pius ('dutiful').

## AI Etymology
Pitiable comes from Old French pitoiable ('compassionate, deserving pity'), from pitoier ('to pity'), from pite ('pity'), from Latin pietas ('piety, compassion'), from pius ('dutiful'). The etymological trail includes Latin pietas and Latin pius. As an adjective, pitiable means deserving or arousing pity. The same family is visible in derived forms such as pitiably and pitiableness and related forms such as pity, pitiful, piteous, and pious.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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