pity

• pittie, pitty, pitie (obsolete)

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.

• IPA^(key): /ˈpɪ.ti/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪti

pity (countable and uncountable, plural pities)

1. (uncountable) A feeling of sympathy at the misfortune or suffering of someone or something.

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

   take pity on someone

   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Proverbs 19:17:

     He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord.

   • c. 1590–1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii]:

     He […] has no more pity in him than a dog.

   • 1603, Michel de Montaigne, translated by John Florio, The Essayes […], London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:
     , Folio Society, 2006, p.5:

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

   • 2012, BioWare, Mass Effect 3 (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →OCLC, PC, scene: Prologue: Earth:

     Shepard: The Reapers are more advanced than we are. More powerful. More intelligent. They don't fear us, and they'll never take pity on us.

2. (countable) Something regrettable.

   It's a pity you're feeling unwell because there's a party on tonight.

   What a pity about the band breaking up. I loved them!

   • 1759–1767, [Laurence Sterne], The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, volume (please specify |volume=I to IX), London: […] T. Becket and P. A. Dehondt, […]:

     It was a thousand pities.

   • 1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, →OCLC, Act I, scene v, page 1:

     What pity is it / That we can die but once to serve our country!

   • 1941 September, O. S. Nock, “The Locomotives of Sir Nigel Gresley: Part V”, in Railway Magazine, page 395:

     It is a thousand pities that no more detailed records than those of the guard's journals are available, but enough is known to establish them firmly among the finest feats ever achieved by "A3" Pacifics.

3. (obsolete, Early Modern) Piety.
   • 1558, Thomas Watson, Holsome and Catholyke doctryne concerninge the seuen Sacramentes of Chrystes Church, […]‎^[1], folio 105^v:

     Euen so on the other syde a mans harte is contrite, when it is cutte with compunction, mollified with pitie and deuotion, moued with prayers and exhortation, is affraide by threatninges, allured by kindnes, ashamed of dishonesty, geuing place to Gods inspiration, […]

   • 1573, James Sanforde, transl., The Garden of Pleasure […]‎^[2], folio 58^v:

     A maruellous stoutnesse of a mans minde, accompanied vvith pitie tovvardes his countrie.
     When Lucius Scilla had ouercom by force of armes the Citie of Preyneste he gaue leaue and commission to the Souldiers that they should destroye it, and kyll all the Citizens sauing his Host, meaning with this good turne to shewe himselfe thankfull vnto hym, for manye curtesies receiued of hym at other times in his lodging. But that valiant Citizen hering of this commission, went foorth incontinently out of his house disguised & preasing in among other of his countrimen, sayd, that he had rather die, than owe his life to the destroyer of his countrie.

   • 1579 July 19, John Dyos, A Sermon preached at Paules Crosse the 19. of Iuli 1579 […]‎^[3], published 1579, folios 48^v–49^r:

     The Church of Rome beyng moued neither with pitie, zeale, truth, reasõ, nor honesty, but onely with ambition and couetousnesse refuseth none, so they will shew thẽ selues to be of that Catholicke Church. Traytours, murtherers, theeues, coseners, cutters, adulters, baudes, strumpets and all other gracelesse persons may vpon the sayd cõditiõ haue safe accesse to Rome and be of that Church.

• (mercy): ruth
• (something regrettable): shame

pity (third-person singular simple present pities, present participle pitying, simple past and past participle pitied)

1. (transitive) To feel pity for (someone or something). [from 15th c.]

   You have got to pity the guy - he lost his wife, mother and job in the same month.

   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalms 103:13:

     Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.

   • 1902, Hilaire Belloc, The Path to Rome:

     Nor could she get round them on a single point, and I pitied her so much that I bought bread and wine off her to console her, and I let her overcharge me, and went out into the afterglow with her benediction, followed also by the farewells of the middle-class, who were now taking their coffee at little tables outside the house.

2. (transitive, now regional) To make (someone) feel pity; to provoke the sympathy or compassion of. [from 16th c.]
   • 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book IV, Canto XI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

     She lenger yet is like captiv'd to bee; / That even to thinke thereof it inly pitties mee.

   • a. 1681, Richard Allestree, Of Gods Method in giving Deliverance:

     It pitieth them to see her in the dust.

pity!

1. Ellipsis of what a pity.

• shame, what a pity, what a shame

• IPA^(key): [ˈpɪtɪ]

pity

1. inflection of pít:
   1. inanimate masculine plural passive participle
   2. feminine plural passive participle

• IPA^(key): /ˈpʲitɨ/

pity

1. past passive participle of piś

• IPA^(key): /ˈpi.tɘ/
• Rhymes: -itɘ
• Syllabification: pi‧ty
• Homophone: Pity

pity (passive adjectival)

1. masculine singular passive adjectival participle of pić

pity f

1. inflection of pita:
   1. genitive singular
   2. nominative/accusative/vocative plural