piteous

[pit-ee-uh s] /ˈpɪt i əs/

adjective

evoking or deserving pity; pathetic:

piteous cries for help.

Archaic. compassionate.

Origin

1250-1300; Middle English; replacing pitous < Old French < Medieval Latin pietōsus. See pity, -ous

Related forms

piteously, adverb

piteousness, noun

overpiteous, adjective

overpiteously, adverb

overpiteousness, noun

unpiteous, adjective

unpiteously, adverb

Can be confused

piteous, pitiable, pitiful, pitiless (see synonym study at pitiful)

Synonyms

1. affecting, moving, distressing, lamentable, woeful, sad, wretched, sorrowful. See pitiful.

Examples from the web for piteous

Hunter tells a piteous story of the privations and degradations of the dim, silent millions among us.
Then it made a piteous noise, a whee-whee-whee sound.
Hearing the piteous depths of her pain made the news report more vivid, the loss more palpable.
They lost their oars, became frightened, and let out a chorus of piteous yells.
Victorio made a piteous appeal to bo permitted to re main where his fathers were buried.
Brought from the field covered with rags and mud and blood, they are a piteous sight.
Often in the night she could not sleep on account of the groans of the sufferers, with their piteous calls for water.
Groans and piteous cries resounded in these forest shambles.
The lady hurried to the relief of the piteous prisoner, and handling it with the utmost care, freed it.
Oh, what a poor piteous cry of wounded pride and disappointment.

British Dictionary definitions for piteous

piteous

/ˈpɪtɪəs/

adjective

exciting or deserving pity

(archaic) having or expressing pity

Derived Forms

piteously, adverb
piteousness, noun

Word Origin and History for piteous

adj.

c.1300, from Anglo-French pitous, Old French pitos "pious; merciful, compassionate, moved to pity; pitiful" (12c., Modern French piteux), from Medieval Latin pietosus "merciful, pitiful," in Vulgar Latin "dutiful," from Latin pietas "dutiful conduct, compassion" (see piety). Related: Piteously; piteousness.