pity

CEFRB1

/ˈpɪt.i/

noun · verb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    Sadness or sympathy for someone else's trouble.

  2. 02

    verb

    To feel sorry for someone.

Examples

  • It's a pity that you can't buy miracles like you would buy potatoes.

  • It's a pity that you can't stay longer.

At a glance

Sits at B1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
5
Synonyms
5

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. Feeling of contempt one has for someone who is hopelessly inferior.

  2. Something regrettable.

  3. A feeling of sympathy at the misfortune or suffering of someone or something.

More examples

In context

  • It's a pity when somebody dies.

  • I can't feel any pity towards the gang, who got injured while attempting to break into a flat.

  • The most usuall way to appease those minds we have offended […] is, by submission to move them to commiseration and pitty.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The old man's story filled the children with great blank for his suffering.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

From Middle English pitye, pitie, pittye, pitee, pite, from Anglo-Norman pité, pittee etc., from Old French pitet, pitié, from Latin pietās. See also the doublets pietà and piety.