• IPA: /ˈpɪti/

pity

1. (uncountable) A feeling of sympathy at the misfortune or suffering of someone or something.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), imprinted at London: By Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981 ↗, Proverbs 19:17 ↗:

     He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord.

   • c. 1590–1591, William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act II, scene iii]:

     He […] has no more pity in him than a dog.

   • 1603, Michel de Montaigne, John Florio, transl., The Essayes, […], printed at London: By Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], OCLC 946730821 ↗:

     , Folio Society, 2006, p.5:

     The most usuall way to appease those minds we have offended […] is, by submission to move them to commiseration and pitty.

2. (countable) Something regrettable.

   It's a pity you're feeling unwell because there's a party on tonight.

   • It was a thousand pities.

   • 1713, Joseph Addison, Cato, published 1712, [Act 5, scene 1]:

     What pity is it / That we can die but once to serve our country!

3. (obsolete) Piety.

• (mercy) ruth
• (something regrettable) shame

• French: compassion, pitié
• German: Mitleid
• Italian: pietà
• Portuguese: pena
• Russian: жа́лость
• Spanish: compasión, piedad, lástima

• French: dommage
• German: schade
• Italian: peccato
• Portuguese: pena
• Russian: жаль
• Spanish: lástima

pity

1. (transitive) To feel pity for (someone or something). [from 15th c.]
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), imprinted at London: By Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981 ↗, Psalms 103:13 ↗:

     Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.

2. (transitive, now regional) To make (someone) feel pity; to provoke the sympathy or compassion of. [from 16th c.]
   • 1596, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, IV.11:

     She lenger yet is like captiv'd to bee; / That even to thinke thereof it inly pitties mee.

   • It pitieth them to see her in the dust.

• French: plaindre, avoir pitié de
• German: bemitleiden, Mitleid haben mit
• Italian: compatire
• Portuguese: apiedar-se de, sentir dó de, sentir compaixão por
• Russian: жале́ть
• Spanish: tener lástima, compadecer

1. Short form of what a pity.

• shame, what a pity, what a shame