Word a Day
pitiful
What does pitiful mean?
pitiful (adjective): so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it; eliciting pity.
Definition: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
How do you pronounce pitiful?
/ˈpɪtɪfl̩/ (IPA, American English). The app reads every word aloud.
Where does pitiful come from?
From Middle English pityful, piteful, piteeful.
Etymology: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Test yourself: do you know “pitiful”?
Tap an answer to check it. The same questions the app asks.
What does “pitiful” mean?
serving to hinder or oppose; adverse, disadvantageous, inconducive, unsuitable
Not quite: that's what unfavorable means.
of a man or boy: attractively manly, having a pleasing face and overall effect
Not quite: that's what handsome means.
so appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it; eliciting pity
Right! That's what “pitiful” means.
of or pertaining to a mother; having the characteristics of a mother; motherly
Not quite: that's what maternal means.
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