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pitiful |
3 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Pitiful \Pit"i*ful\, a. 1. Full of pity; tender-hearted; compassionate; kind merciful; sympathetic. The Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. --James v. 11. 2. Piteous; lamentable; eliciting compassion. A thing indeed, very pitiful and horrible. --Spenser. 3. To be pitied for littleness or meanness; miserable; paltry; contemptible; despicable. That's villainous, and shows a most pitiful ambition in the fool that uses it --Shak. Syn: Despicable; mean paltry. See {Contemptible}. -- {Pit"i*ful*ly}, adv -- {Pit"i*ful*ness}, n. From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: pitiful adj 1: inspiring mixed contempt and pity; "their efforts were pathetic"; "pitiable lack of character"; "pitiful exhibition of cowardice" [syn: {pathetic}, {pitiable}] 2: very bad "my finances were in a deplorable state"; "a lamentable decision"; "her clothes were in sad shape"; "a sorry state of affairs" [syn: {deplorable}, {distressing}, {lamentable}, {sad}, {sorry}] 3: deserving or inciting pity; "a hapless victim"; "miserable victims of war"; "the shabby room struck her as extraordinarily pathetic"- Galsworthy "piteous appeals for help"; "pitiable homeless children"; "a pitiful fate"; "couldn't rescue the poor fellow"; "his poor distorted limbs"; "a wretched life" [syn: {hapless}, {miserable}, {misfortunate}, {pathetic}, {piteous}, {pitiable}, {poor}, {wretched}] From THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY ((C)1911 Released April 15 1993) [devils]: PITIFUL, adj The state of an enemy of opponent after an imaginary encounter with oneself.
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