1
as in pathetic
deserving pitying scorn (as for inadequacy)
that piece of junk is a pitiful excuse for a car
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lame
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust
a pitiful coward
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in poor
deserving of one's pity
pitiful orphans who had lost everything in the war
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pitiful
There is nothing deficient, unnatural or pitiful about being single, as we’re often led to believe.
—
Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
Kate is right in Fey’s Liz Lemon wheelhouse (if a little less pitiful), and Forte is shockingly normal as Kate’s nice-guy husband Jack.
—Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 1 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for pitiful
Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
Kate is right in Fey’s Liz Lemon wheelhouse (if a little less pitiful), and Forte is shockingly normal as Kate’s nice-guy husband Jack.
—Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 1 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for pitiful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pitiful
Adjective
-
The double talk that is presented by both Republicans and Democrats alike is pathetic.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
10 July 2025
-
Tehran's retaliation has, so far, been pathetic: a few missiles lobbed at an empty US base, complete with a heads-up.—
Carlo Versano,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 June 2025
Adjective
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As holidays go, however, Flag Day can feel a bit lame.—
Kevin Fisher-Paulson,
San Francisco Chronicle,
8 June 2021
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My 11-year-old loved watching the pups roll balls and play a giant floor piano, but for non-dog owners (guilty as charged), parts of the series—like dressing dogs in little hats and outfits for a Parisian fashion show—feel lame.—
Tim Neville,
Outside Online,
23 Nov. 2020
Adjective
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Here are the inspection scores and violations for restaurants within the city limits of Arlington for June 29th - July 5th, 2025 A score of 100 is a perfect score and 70 is considered to be extremely poor.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 July 2025
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This last group is those with still poor (<50) RS Ratings, but strong (>80) 3-month RS Ratings. a.—
Randy Watts,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
Adjective
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That's the sad reality facing many dogs in the wider shelter system.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 July 2025
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Sinner plowed through an ailing Novak Djokovic 6-3, 6-3, 6-4, in a match that could serve as a sad, unfortunate coda to one of the most remarkable grass careers in tennis history.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
11 July 2025
Adjective
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With a price tag of $99.99, the half-size bottles weren’t exactly cheap by the ounce—but that didn’t prevent stocks from selling out fast, spurred by excellent word of mouth.—
David Thomas Tao,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
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Shop the Asus Vivobook Go 15.6-Inch FHD Slim Laptop, which is marked down to its cheapest price of the year.—
Clara McMahon,
People.com,
8 July 2025
Adjective
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That was a fine symbolic soundtrack for the numbing atmosphere after a game that epitomized a wretched stretch for the Royals — one that is threatening to define and derail a seemingly promising season.—
Vahe Gregorian,
Kansas City Star,
27 June 2025
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That bubble prevents clouds from forming, meaning no rain, intense sunshine and wretched humidity.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
22 June 2025
Adjective
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Use the packing cubes to separate clean and dirty clothes for the duration of your cruise.—
Kelsey Glennon,
Travel + Leisure,
7 July 2025
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Employees get their hands dirty in the intro course by learning how to prompt, then move to more advanced courses on building custom GPTs and agents.—
Melissa Daimler,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
Adjective
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For now, this is DeVries on the job: intent but measured, teeth ready to clamp down on his tongue, establishing standards while also very much trying to make sure his team isn’t miserable from the beginning.—
Brian Hamilton,
New York Times,
11 July 2025
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His Panthers opened the season with two miserable losses, complete with booing from fans in the home opener, and the 23-year-old soon became the first quarterback selected No. 1 overall in the Super Bowl era to be benched for non-injury reasons.—
Eric Jackson,
Sportico.com,
7 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pitiful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pitiful. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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