# pitiful

/ˈpɪtəfəɫ/ (US) · /pˈɪtifəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/pitiful
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. sad and deserving sympathy

adjective · CEFR B2

making you feel deep sadness or sympathy because something is in a very bad state.

For teachers: deserving or eliciting compassion or sympathy due to a state of suffering or misfortune.

- The abandoned puppy looked pitiful sitting alone in the heavy rain.
- The refugees presented a pitiful sight as they huddled together for warmth in the makeshift camp during the winter storm.

### 2. very small or poor quality

adjective · CEFR B2

so small, weak, or bad that it is not enough and feels embarrassing.

For teachers: contemptibly small, inadequate, or of poor quality; often used to express disappointment.

- He was offered a pitiful amount of money for all his hard work.
- The team's performance was pitiful, showing a complete lack of coordination that left the fans booing before halftime.

### 3. in a sad way

adverb · CEFR C2 · Dialect · Informal

used in some regions to mean 'very' or 'sadly' when describing how someone acts.

For teachers: functioning as an adverb of manner or degree; typically used to mean 'pitifully' or 'pathetically'.

- The child was crying pitiful when his balloon flew away.
- In certain regional dialects, you might hear a speaker describe someone as acting 'pitiful' rather than using the standard adverbial form.

Usage: In standard English, 'pitifully' is required; this form is restricted to specific regional or informal speech.

## Examples

- The hungry kitten let out a pitiful cry.
- The team's performance was pitiful, as they failed to score a single point during the entire game.
- The refugees lived in pitiful conditions, lacking basic necessities like clean water and adequate shelter after the storm destroyed their village.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.