Synonyms for pity
- noun
- verb
- interjection
Most common
Synonyms by meaning
Noun
1. Commiseration — A feeling of sympathy at the misfortune or suffering of someone or something
commiseration, sympathy, mercy, pathos, tenderness, condolence, quarter, compassion dated, remorse dated, ruth dated, rue dated, bowels dated
Verb
1. Feel sorry for — to feel pity for (someone or something)
2. Compassionate
feel for, compassionate dated
Interjection
Definitions
- n. 1
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.
- v. 1
To feel pity for (someone or something).
You have got to pity the guy - he lost his wife, mother and job in the same month.
- v. 2
To feel contempt for someone who is hopelessly inferior.
Related words
- Phrases
- what a pity for pity's sake pity fuck that's a pity pity pot pity potty
- Is a kind of
- feel for sympathize aggrieve attrist begloom
Choose the right word
Pity is a feeling of grief or pain aroused by the weakness, misfortunes, or distresses of others, joined with a desire to help or relieve.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- mercy And so God took mercy on her, and gave her a girl.
- sympathy His helplessness appeals to her motherly sympathy.
- pathos It feels like they went off like that for pathos.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| pity | rising | |
| mercy | rising | |
| sympathy | steady | |
| pathos | steady | |
| commiseration | rising |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 3 letters
- rue1
- 4 letters
- ruth1
- 5 letters
- shame1, mercy2
- 6 letters
- bowels2, pathos2
- 7 letters
- quarter2, remorse2, cuhdear
- 8 letters
- sympathy3
- 10 letters
- compassion3, tenderness3, condolence3
- 11 letters
- commiserate4
- 13 letters
- compassionate4, commiseration
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (mercy2 = 2 syllables).