pitying

American

[pit-ee-ing] / ˈpɪt i ɪŋ /

adjective

First recorded in 1640–50; pity + -ing ²

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Josh: In our quest to become better recyclers, Melissa, I found myself pitying the ephemeral life of a pizza box.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 19, 2024

"I didn't want it to be a 'doom and gloom moment' because I can't deal with people pitying me," she says.

From BBC • Sep. 29, 2023

Please join me in pitying whoever has to sit behind DJ D-Nice’s big hat tonight.

From The Guardian • Mar. 27, 2022

Yet when I tried to posit her as a peer of those artists, the stares I received were blank and pitying.

From New York Times • Sep. 7, 2021

Anything would be better than the pitying glances of the entire school.

From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023