Pitifulとは 意味・読み方・使い方

語源

From 中期英語 pityful, piteful, piteeful. By surface analysis, pit(i) +‎ -ful.

発音

• IPA: /ˈpɪt.ɪ.fl̩/

形容詞

pitiful (comparative pitifuller, superlative pitifullest)

1. So appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it; eliciting pity.

   Synonyms: piteous, pitisome, ruthful; see also Thesaurus:pitiful

   Scotland has a pitiful climate.

2. Of an amount or number: very small.

   Synonyms: few, meager, paltry, scant, scanty, thin

   A pitiful number of students bothered to turn up.

3. (archaic) Feeling pity; merciful.

   Synonyms: commiserative; see also Thesaurus:merciful, Thesaurus:pitying

   • c. 1588–1593 (date written), [William Shakespeare], The Most Lamentable Romaine Tragedie of Titus Andronicus: […] (First Quarto), London: […] Iohn Danter, and are to be sold by Edward White & Thomas Millington, […], published 1594, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii], signature D3, verso:

     Some ſay that Rauens foſter forlorne children, / The vvhilſt their ovvne birds famiſh in their neſts: / Oh be to me though thy hard hart ſay no, / Nothing ſo kinde but ſomething pittifull.

   • 1851 November 14, Herman Melville, Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC:

     Straightway, he now goes on to make a full confession; whereupon the mariners became more and more appalled, but still are pitiful.

派生語

関連する語

• pitiable
• pity

副詞

pitiful (comparative more pitiful, superlative most pitiful)

1. (colloquial, dialect) In a pitiful manner; pitifully; piteously; pathetically.
   • 1906, Rudyard Kipling, Puck of Pook's Hill, London: Penguin Books, published 1994, page 194:

     ‘She followed ’em, cryin’ pitiful, to the old boat on the Wall[.]’