pity
Listen:Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
pity/ˈpɪti/
▶noun (pl. pities)
- 1 a feeling of sorrow and compassion caused by the sufferings of others.
- 2 a cause for regret or disappointment: what a pity.
– phrases
for pity's sake informal used to express impatience or make an urgent appeal.
more's the pity informal used to express regret.
for pity's sake informal used to express impatience or make an urgent appeal.
more's the pity informal used to express regret.
– derivatives
pitying adjective,
pityingly adverb.
pitying adjective,
pityingly adverb.
– origin ME: from OFr. pite ‘compassion’, from L. pietas ‘piety’.
'pity' also found in these Oxford entries:
