• IPA: /ˈpɪt.ɪ.fl̩/

pitiful (comparative pitifuller, superlative pitifullest)

1. (now rare) Feeling pity; merciful.
   • c. 1588–1593, [William Shakespeare], The Most Lamentable Romaine Tragedie of Titus Andronicus: […] (First Quarto), London: Printed by Iohn Danter, and are to be sold by Edward White & Thomas Millington, […], published 1594, OCLC 222241046 ↗, [Act II, scene iii] ↗:

     Some ſay that Rauens foſter forlorne children, / The whilſt their owne birds famiſh in their neſts: / Oh be to me though thy hard hart ſay no, / Nothing ſo kinde but ſomething pittiful.

   • 1851, Herman Melville, Moby-Dick:

     Straightway, he now goes on to make a full confession; whereupon the mariners became more and more appalled, but still are pitiful.

2. So appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it; eliciting pity.

   Synonyms: Thesaurus:lamentable

   Scotland has a pitiful climate.

3. Of an amount or number: very small.

   A pitiful number of students bothered to turn up.

pitiful

1. (colloquial, dialect) In a pitiful manner; pitifully; piteously; pathetically.

• pitiable
• pity

• French: pitoyable
• German: erbärmlich, kläglich, jämmerlich, mitleiderregend, bemitleidenswert
• Portuguese: lamentável
• Russian: жа́лкий
• Spanish: lastimoso, lastimero

• Russian: жа́лкий