piteous

Adjective

Synonyms: hapless miserable misfortunate pathetic pitiable pitiful poor wretched

WordNet 3.0

Adjective (1)

deserving or inciting pity“a hapless victim”“miserable victims of war”“the shabby room struck her as extraordinarily pathetic — Galsworthy”“piteous appeals for help”“pitiable homeless children”“a pitiful fate”“Oh, you poor thing”“his poor distorted limbs”“a wretched life”Synonyms: hapless miserable misfortunate pathetic pitiable pitiful poor wretched

Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

Piteous \Pit"e*ous\, a. [OE. pitous, OF. pitos, F. piteux. See Pity.]

1.Pious; devout. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

The Lord can deliver piteous men from temptation.— Wyclif.[1913 Webster]

2.Evincing pity, compassion, or sympathy; compassionate; tender. "[She] piteous of his case." --Pope. [1913 Webster]

She was so charitable and so pitous.— Chaucer.[1913 Webster]

3.Fitted to excite pity or sympathy; wretched; miserable; lamentable; sad; as, a piteous case. --Spenser. [1913 Webster]

The most piteous tale of Lear.— Shak.[1913 Webster]

4.Paltry; mean; pitiful. "Piteous amends." --Milton. [1913 Webster]

Syn: Sorrowful; mournful; affecting; doleful; woeful; rueful; sad; wretched; miserable; pitiable; pitiful; compassionate. [1913 Webster] -- Pit"e*ous*ly, adv. -- Pit"e*ous*ness, n. [1913 Webster]