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
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
For better or worse, high-end eco-resorts of this type tend to focus on hyper-local ingredients often grown in a pitiful little garden behind the kitchen.
—
Christopher Cameron, Robb Report, 30 May 2025
From ’01 to ’20, the Knicks played in only 30 postseason games, posting a pitiful 9-21 record.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 18 May 2025
Not a week goes by without a new sensational report lamenting the educational aspirations, well-being expectations or pitiful work ethic of people born post-millennium.
—Lauren Coulman, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
The pitiful performance by the Texas Rangers against the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2016 divisional round.
—Mac Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for pitiful
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Christopher Cameron, Robb Report, 30 May 2025
From ’01 to ’20, the Knicks played in only 30 postseason games, posting a pitiful 9-21 record.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 18 May 2025
Not a week goes by without a new sensational report lamenting the educational aspirations, well-being expectations or pitiful work ethic of people born post-millennium.
—Lauren Coulman, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
The pitiful performance by the Texas Rangers against the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2016 divisional round.
—Mac Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for pitiful
Cite this Entry
“Pitiful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pitiful. Accessed 15 Jun. 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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