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Webster 1913 Edition

Piteous

Pit′e-ous

,
Adj.
[OE.
pitous
, OF.
pitos
, F.
piteux
. See
Pity
.]
1.
Pious; devout.
[Obs.]
The Lord can deliver
piteous
men from temptation.
Wyclif.
2.
Evincing pity, compassion, or sympathy; compassionate; tender.
“[She] piteous of his case.”
Pope.
She was so charitable and so
pitous
.
Chaucer.
3.
Fitted to excite pity or sympathy; wretched; miserable; lamentable; sad;
as, a
piteous
case
.
Spenser.
The most
piteous
tale of Lear.
Shakespeare
4.
Paltry; mean; pitiful.
“Piteous amends.”
Milton.
Syn. – Sorrowful; mournful; affecting; doleful; woeful; rueful; sad; wretched; miserable; pitiable; pitiful; compassionate.
–
Pit′e-ous-ly
,
adv.
–
Pit′e-ous-ness
,
Noun.

Webster 1828 Edition

Piteous

PIT'EOUS

,
Adj.
[See Pity.] Sorrowful; mournful; that may excite pity; as a piteous look.
1.
Wretched; miserable; deserving compassion; as a piteous condition.
2.
Compassionate; affected by pity.
3.
Pitiful; paltry; poor; as piteous amends.

Definition 2024

piteous

piteous

English

Adjective

piteous ‎(comparative more piteous, superlative most piteous)

  1. pitiful; provoking pity, compassion, or sympathy.
    • Shakespeare
      The most piteous tale of Lear.
  2. (obsolete) pious; devout
    • Wyclif
      The Lord can deliver piteous men from temptation.
  3. (obsolete) compassionate; tender
    • Alexander Pope
      [She was] piteous of his case.
  4. (obsolete) paltry; mean; pitiful
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Milton to this entry?)

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Derived terms

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Etymology

Middle English pitous, from Old French piteus, pitus,

Pronunciation

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