1
as in pitiful
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust
the sales presentation was a pitiable display of ineptitude and disorganization
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pathetic
deserving pitying scorn (as for inadequacy)
a pitiable attempt at singing that generated snickers
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in poor
deserving of one's pity
a pitiable, starving old dog
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pitiable
Federal aid cuts are likely, given the current dismantling of our nation’s already-pitiable social safety net.
—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2025
Part of that is Doug, who is too pitiable to make a compelling center.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 18 Mar. 2025
Visiting the White Lotus’ Thailand hotel to learn new techniques and share her own, Belinda’s arc is less pitiable this season, but her purpose is arguably even more critical.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 11 Feb. 2025
The series’ pitiable ghost is Kayako (Takako Fuji), at the receiving end of violence in life, prone to continue inflicting violence on others in death.
—Gayle Sequeira, Vulture, 20 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pitiable
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2025
Part of that is Doug, who is too pitiable to make a compelling center.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 18 Mar. 2025
Visiting the White Lotus’ Thailand hotel to learn new techniques and share her own, Belinda’s arc is less pitiable this season, but her purpose is arguably even more critical.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 11 Feb. 2025
The series’ pitiable ghost is Kayako (Takako Fuji), at the receiving end of violence in life, prone to continue inflicting violence on others in death.
—Gayle Sequeira, Vulture, 20 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pitiable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pitiable
Adjective
-
The pitiful performance by the Texas Rangers against the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2016 divisional round.—
Mac Engel,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 May 2025
-
But the rates were pitiful: $9.87 for a 13-mile trip, $19.97 for a 25-mile trip and so on.—
Eli Tan,
New York Times,
14 May 2025
Adjective
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Anyone who tells you different is a liar (and pathetic, and alone in life).—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
30 May 2025
-
The politicized fantasy and horror films by Ryan Coogler and Jordan Peele are merely pathetic.—
Armond White,
National Review,
23 May 2025
Adjective
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Meanwhile, African roads are broadly in a poor state, with only 818,000 km of them paved.—
Alexander Onukwue,
semafor.com,
5 June 2025
-
Massive clouds of pollutants could collide in North Carolina this week and result in poor air quality conditions for millions.—
Evan Moore,
Charlotte Observer,
5 June 2025
Adjective
-
As holidays go, however, Flag Day can feel a bit lame.—
Kevin Fisher-Paulson,
San Francisco Chronicle,
8 June 2021
-
My 11-year-old loved watching the pups roll balls and play a giant floor piano, but for non-dog owners (guilty as charged), parts of the series—like dressing dogs in little hats and outfits for a Parisian fashion show—feel lame.—
Tim Neville,
Outside Online,
23 Nov. 2020
Adjective
-
My back hurt from that sad excuse for a chair (seriously, who designs dining chairs to feel like medieval torture devices?).—
Renae Gregoire,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
-
Stewart is still thanked by gay fans by creating such a rare, highly visible (albeit sad) representation.—
Jordan Hoffman,
EW.com,
27 May 2025
Adjective
-
Fernandes, who’s been at Old Trafford since 2020, chalked up 19 goals and 20 assists in all competitions during a wretched 2024/25 campaign for the Red Devils.—
Henry Flynn,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2025
-
Fair enough — the club is playing wretched baseball, and some responsibility for that goes to the manager.—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
13 May 2025
Adjective
-
Matthew Whelan, executive director of the Asbury Park Chamber of Commerce, suggests visiting on a weekday when possible; parking will be easier to find, and beach badges are cheaper ($7/day/person, instead of $10).—
Rachel Chang,
AFAR Media,
2 June 2025
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Cremation, increasingly popular, is cheaper: good for the customer, less so for the bottom line.—
Paige Williams,
New Yorker,
2 June 2025
Adjective
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The Angels left-hander began the season as one of their high leverage relievers, but a miserable outing in the season’s first week told him something wasn’t right.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
26 May 2025
-
Walker wears his emotions more viscerally than most players mired in such a miserable start.—
Chandler Rome,
New York Times,
25 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pitiable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pitiable. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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