How do you pronounce pitiful?

The recorded pronunciation is /ˈpɪt.ɪ.fl̩/.

Where does pitiful come from?

It is traced to Middle English.

pitiful

/ˈpɪt.ɪ.fl̩/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.24 in modern English

Syllables: piti-ful
IPA: /ˈpɪt.ɪ.fl̩/

Scrabble Score

Letters

Syllables

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

So appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it; eliciting pity.

adj

Eliciting contempt.

adj

Of an amount or number: very small.

adj

Feeling pity; merciful.

Archaic

adv

In a pitiful manner; pitifully; piteously; pathetically.

Colloquial

Example Sentences

"Scotland has a pitiful climate."
"A pitiful number of students bothered to turn up."
"Some ſay that Rauens foſter forlorne children, / The vvhilſt their ovvne birds famiſh in their neſts: / Oh be to me though thy hard hart ſay no, / Nothing ſo kinde but ſomething pittifull."
"Straightway, he now goes on to make a full confession; whereupon the mariners became more and more appalled, but still are pitiful."
"‘She followed ’em, cryin’ pitiful, to the old boat on the Wall[.]’"

Etymology

From Middle English pityful, piteful, piteeful. By surface analysis, pit(i) + -ful.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: pityful

Usage

Inflected Forms

pitifuller (comparative) pitifullest (superlative) pitifull (alternative, obsolete) more pitiful (comparative) most pitiful (superlative)

Derived Forms

pitifulness unpitiful

Frequently Paired Words

pitiable pity pitying regretful

Synonyms

piteous pitisome ruthful few meager paltry scant scanty thin commiserative clement lenient

Antonyms

nonpathetic un-pathetic unpiteous unpitiable unrueful