Definition of pitiful

pitifuladjective

thương tâm

/ˈpɪtɪfl//ˈpɪtɪfl/

The word "pitiful" has a fascinating journey. It traces its roots back to the Old French word "piteous," which itself came from the Latin "pietas," meaning "piety" or "dutiful." Over time, "piteous" shifted in meaning to encompass the feeling of sadness or compassion. The suffix "-ful" was added to create "pitiful," emphasizing the quality of deserving pity or evoking compassion. Therefore, "pitiful" originally referred to something worthy of piety, but now often signifies something deserving pity or sadness.

namespace

deserving pity or causing you to feel pity

đáng thương hại hoặc khiến bạn cảm thấy thương hại

Example:
  • The horse was a pitiful sight (= because it was very thin or sick).

    Con ngựa là một cảnh tượng đáng thương (= vì nó rất gầy hoặc ốm yếu).

Related words and phrases

not deserving respect

không đáng được tôn trọng

Example:
  • a pitiful effort/excuse/performance

    một nỗ lực/lời bào chữa/sự thể hiện đáng thương

Related words and phrases