pitying

She gave him a pitying look as he told his sad story.

Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Showing or expressing pity: "pitying" describes a feeling or expression of sorrow and compassion for someone else's misfortune or suffering. It often implies a sense of sympathy, but can also carry a subtle overtone of condescension or superiority.
   • Characterized by compassion: Used to describe actions, looks, or words that convey a gentle, sorrowful concern for another person's hardship.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • She gave him a pitying look when he failed the exam. (Her expression showed sorrow and compassion for his failure.)
  • The old man's pitying words made the orphan feel even more helpless. (His compassionate words, though kind, highlighted the orphan's unfortunate situation.)
  • He spoke in a pitying tone, which annoyed her because she wanted strength, not sympathy. (His voice conveyed condescending compassion.)

Advanced Usage

• "a pitying smile": a smile that expresses compassion, often mixed with sadness or a sense of superiority.

  • The teacher offered a pitying smile to the struggling student. (The smile showed understanding but also a sense of the student's difficulty.)

• "pitying glances": looks directed at someone that communicate sympathy or sorrow.

  • The crowd exchanged pitying glances as the homeless man shivered in the cold. (Their looks expressed shared compassion for his plight.)

Variants and Related Words

• Pity (n/v): the feeling of sorrow and compassion; to feel such sorrow.

  • He felt great pity for the injured bird. (Noun: deep compassion.) / I pity those who have no friends. (Verb: to feel sorry for.)

• Pitiful (adj): deserving or causing pity; often meaning pathetic or inadequate.

  • The pitiful state of the old house made everyone sad. (The house was in a condition that inspired pity.)

• Pitiless (adj): showing no pity; cruel or merciless.

  • The pitiless storm destroyed everything in its path. (The storm was without compassion, causing destruction.)

• Self-pity (n): pity for one's own sufferings, often excessive.

  • She wallowed in self-pity after losing her job. (She felt sorry for herself to an extreme degree.)

Synonyms

• Compassionate: feeling or showing sympathy and concern for others.

  • Her compassionate heart led her to volunteer at the shelter. (Similar to pitying, but often more active and less condescending.)

• Sympathetic: showing understanding and care for someone's hardship.

  • He gave her a sympathetic nod. (A nod that conveyed shared understanding.)

• Condescending: having or showing a feeling of patronizing superiority (a negative aspect of pitying).

  • His pitying tone was actually condescending, as if he were better than her. (When pitying implies a sense of superiority.)

Related Idioms

• Take pity on someone: to feel compassion for someone and act to help them.

  • She took pity on the stray dog and brought it home. (She felt pity and decided to help.)

• More's the pity: an expression of regret or disappointment.

  • He decided to leave, and more's the pity, because we needed his help. (It is a pity that he left.)