pity
a feeling of sympathy and sorrow for the misfortunes of others
How often you will meet it
Rank 930 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 19,786 times across 157,096 chapters — 0.009% of every word in the library.
It belongs to the first 1,000 words, the band worth learning before any other.
What it means
noun
- a feeling of sympathy and sorrow for the misfortunes of others also: commiseration, ruth, pathos the blind are too often objects of pity
- an unfortunate development also: shame it's a pity he couldn't do it
- the humane quality of understanding the suffering of others and wanting to do something about it also: compassion
verb
- share the suffering of also: feel for, compassionate, condole with, sympathize with
pity in real books
Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.
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He saw it, and took pity on me.
Other People's Money · Emile Gaboriau · Chapter 1
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Sir, in the way of pity, I wish you heart-whole.
The White Devil · John Webster · Chapter 1
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It will be a great pity, for it will alter you.
The Picture of Dorian Gray · Oscar Wilde · Chapter 1
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It's a pity that old mossback had to put in a mill.
The Riverman · Stewart Edward White · Chapter 1
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Then the Hunter took pity on them, laid aside his anger, and told the miller to drive them back again.
The Yellow Fairy Book: The Grateful Beasts · World Traditions (Celtic, Norse, Asian & Persian) · Chapter 1