Pity, n.; pl. Pities.
Etymology: [OE. pite, OF. pité, pitié, F. pitié, L. pietas piety, kindness, pity. See Pious, and cf. Piety.]
1. Piety. [Obs.] Wyclif.
2. A feeling for the sufferings or distresses of another or others; sympathy with the grief or misery of another; compassion; fellow- feeling; commiseration. He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord. Prov. xix. 17. He . . . has no more pity in him than a dog. Shak.
3. A reason or cause of pity, grief, or regret; a thing to be regretted. "The more the pity." Shak. What pity is it That we can die but once to serve our country! Addison.
Note: In this sense, sometimes used in the plural, especially in the colloquialism: "It is a thousand pities."
1 more senses
Syn. -- Compassion; mercy; commiseration; condolence; sympathy, fellow- suffering; fellow-feeling. -- Pity, Sympathy, Compassion. Sympathy is literally fellow-feeling, and therefore requiers a certain degree of equality in situation, circumstances, etc., to its fullest exercise. Compassion is deep tenderness for another under severe or inevitable misfortune. Pity regards its object not only as suffering, but weak, and hence as inferior.
2 other Webster entries under this spelling
Pity, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pitied; p. pr. & vb. n. Pitying.]
1. To feel pity or compassion for; to have sympathy with; to compassionate; to commiserate; to have tender feelings toward (any one), awakened by a knowledge of suffering. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. Ps. ciii. 13.
2. To move to pity; -- used impersonally. [Obs.] It pitieth them to see her in the dust. Bk. of Com. Prayer.
Pity, v. i.
To be compassionate; to show pity. I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy. Jer. xiii. 14.
Shades of meaning
Pity is a feeling of grief or pain aroused by the weakness, misfortunes, or distresses of others, joined with a desire to help or relieve. Sympathy (feeling or suffering with) implies some degree of equality, kindred, or union; pity is for what is weak or unfortunate, and so far, at least, inferior to ourselves; hence, pity is often resented where sympathy would be welcome. We have sympathy with one in joy or grief, in pleasure or pain, pity only for those in suffering or need; we may have sympathy with the struggles of a giant or the triumphs of a conqueror; we are moved with pity for the captive or the slave. Pity may be only in the mind, but mercy does something for those who are its objects. Compassion, like pity, is exercised only with respect to the suffering or unfortunate, but combines with the tenderness of pity the dignity of sympathy and the active quality of mercy. Commiseration is as tender as compassion, but more remote and hopeless; we have commiseration for sufferers whom we can not reach or can not relieve. Condolence is the expression of sympathy. Compare mercy.
Prepositions
Pity on or upon that which we help or spare; pity for that which we merely contemplate; "have pity upon me, O ye my friends," Job xix, 21; "pity for a horse o'erdriven," TENNYSON In Memoriam lxii, st. 1.