Pity
/ˈpɪti/
nounverbB1
Definition
Pity means feeling sorry or sad because someone is in a bad or difficult situation. It shows that you understand their pain or problems and want to feel for them. When used as a verb, to pity someone is to feel this sadness or sympathy for them.
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See It in Action
A feeling of sadness or sympathy for someone else's trouble
- •I felt pity for the homeless man sitting on the street.
- •She looked at the broken toy with pity.
- •It’s a pity that you can’t come to the party.
To feel sorry or sympathy for someone (verb)
- •I pity those who have to work on weekends.
- •Don’t pity me; I can handle this problem.
- •She pitied the lost child and helped him find his parents.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "pity" like "sad" (A1 word), but it focuses on feeling sorry for another person’s problem, not just feeling sad yourself.
- ✓Picture someone looking at a small, hurt animal and feeling a soft, gentle sadness inside.
- ✓It's the feeling you get when you see a friend upset and want to comfort them.
- ✓Sounds like "pit-tee" → imagine a little pit (hole) in your heart where you feel sadness for others.
- ✓In stories, heroes often feel pity for others who are weak or in trouble and try to help them.
- ✓NOT like "envy" (wanting what someone else has), pity is about feeling sorry for their bad situation.
- ✓NOT like "sympathy" (which means understanding feelings), pity often has a softer, sometimes sadder tone.
- ✓NOT like "compassion" (active kindness), pity can be just feeling sorry without action.
Try Other Words
- •Sympathy: understanding and sharing someone’s feelings (Use when you want to show understanding, not just sadness)
- •Compassion: kindness and desire to help someone suffering (Use when pity leads to helping)
- •Regret: feeling sad about something that happened (Use when feeling sad about a situation, not a person)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: (no prefix or suffix; root word "pity")
- •Etymology: From Old French "pité," from Latin "pietas" meaning mercy or kindness
- •Historical development: Originally meant mercy or kindness, now mainly means feeling sorry or sadness for someone
- •Modern usage: Used to express sadness or sympathy for others’ troubles, sometimes also used to express disappointment ("What a pity!")
Reflect & Connect
•When is it helpful to feel pity for someone, and when might it be better to show compassion or help instead?
•How does the feeling of pity change when you know the person well compared to when you don’t?
Fill in the blanks
1.I felt pity for the old man because he was ___ alone and cold.
2.It’s a pity that she couldn’t come to the ___ because she was sick.
3.When you pity someone, you often feel ___ for their problems but may not know how to help.
4.She pitied the lost dog and decided to ___ it home.
5.Pity is different from sympathy because sympathy means you ___ understand how someone feels.
6.Saying "What a pity!" shows you feel ___ about a situation.
7.People sometimes feel pity when they see someone ___ or in trouble.