Definition

Noun: A person who is in a pitiable or unfortunate situation, deserving of sympathy or pity. The term expresses a feeling of compassion for someone experiencing hardship, misfortune, or suffering.

Usage

This noun phrase is used to refer to a specific individual who is seen as unfortunate or downtrodden. It directly expresses the speaker's feeling of sorrow or pity for that person's circumstances.

Examples

Advanced Usage

The phrase can sometimes be used with a tone of mild, affectionate exasperation rather than deep pity, often when someone's misfortune is partly due to their own actions. * He locked his keys in his car again, the poor devil.

Variants and Related Words

• Poor soul: A very similar term expressing sympathy.
  • That poor soul has been waiting for hours.
• Poor thing: A more general and common expression of pity.
  • You're shivering, you poor thing.

Synonyms

• Unfortunate
• Wretch (can be stronger and sometimes less sympathetic)
• Pathetic figure

Related Idioms

• To feel sorry for someone: To have sympathy for someone's bad situation. This is the action implied by calling someone a "poor devil."
  • I really feel sorry for him after all he's been through.

Noun

1. someone you feel sorry for