PITY Synonyms: 82 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'pity' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of pity are commiseration , compassion , condolence , and sympathy . While all these words mean "the act or capacity for sharing the painful feelings of another," pity implies tender or sometimes slightly contemptuous sorrow for one in misery or distress. // felt pity for the captives

Q: When is it sensible to use 'commiseration' instead of 'pity'?

The words commiseration and pity can be used in similar contexts, but commiseration suggests pity expressed outwardly in exclamations, tears, or words of comfort. // murmurs of commiseration filled the loser's headquarters

Q: When can 'compassion' be used instead of 'pity'?

While in some cases nearly identical to pity , compassion implies pity coupled with an urgent desire to aid or to spare. // treats the homeless with great compassion

Q: When might 'condolence' be a better fit than 'pity'?

The synonyms condolence and pity are sometimes interchangeable, but condolence applies chiefly to formal expression of grief to one who has suffered loss. // expressed their condolences to the widow

Q: When could 'sympathy' be used to replace 'pity'?

In some situations, the words sympathy and pity are roughly equivalent. However, sympathy often suggests a tender concern but can also imply a power to enter into another's emotional experience of any sort. // went to my best friend for sympathy // in sympathy with her desire to locate her natural parents

pity 1 of 2

noun

ˈpi-tē

Definition of pity

as in shame

a regrettable or blameworthy act it's a pity the woodchuck ate all the flowers after you put so much effort into the garden

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as in sympathy

the capacity for feeling for another's unhappiness or misfortune a woman of boundless pity who tried to care for every abandoned animal she found

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

pity

2 of 2

verb

as in to love

to have sympathy for I always pity the people who have to work in this freezing weather

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun pity contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of pity are commiseration, compassion, condolence, and sympathy. While all these words mean "the act or capacity for sharing the painful feelings of another," pity implies tender or sometimes slightly contemptuous sorrow for one in misery or distress.

felt pity for the captives

When is it sensible to use commiseration instead of pity?

The words commiseration and pity can be used in similar contexts, but commiseration suggests pity expressed outwardly in exclamations, tears, or words of comfort.

murmurs of commiseration filled the loser's headquarters

When can compassion be used instead of pity?

While in some cases nearly identical to pity, compassion implies pity coupled with an urgent desire to aid or to spare.

treats the homeless with great compassion

When might condolence be a better fit than pity?

The synonyms condolence and pity are sometimes interchangeable, but condolence applies chiefly to formal expression of grief to one who has suffered loss.

expressed their condolences to the widow

When could sympathy be used to replace pity?

In some situations, the words sympathy and pity are roughly equivalent. However, sympathy often suggests a tender concern but can also imply a power to enter into another's emotional experience of any sort.

went to my best friend for sympathy

in sympathy with her desire to locate her natural parents

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of pity

Noun

Before the recording was played, Judge William Sullivan warned jurors not to allow sympathy, anger, passion or pity to influence their verdict. — Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2026 And that’s a pity, because birthright citizenship brings many practical benefits to the United States today—arguments that the nation needs to hear, given the campaign being mounted against it. — Amanda Frost, The Atlantic, 2 July 2026

Verb

Don't pity me too much, though—I've compiled a few secrets from expert travelers on how to make the most of my time in the middle seat. — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 4 Mar. 2026 But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. — Kevin Sherrington, Dallas Morning News, 8 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pity

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pity

Noun

Secrecy around taking a GLP-1 can also contribute to shame and stigma about medication.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026
Shame on Darien and shame on Little League Baseball for allowing a rule to intentionally walk a 12-year-old, not once but a couple of times.

— Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of shame

Verb

The team says understanding why the impurities do not prevent the formation of high-quality pyrite could help guide the development of similar materials from abundant resources.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2026
Yet Rosenwald understood that people who command such great resources also have a responsibility to use these resources to help others.

— Harold Pollack, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of understand

Noun

Coming-of-age films with variations of these characters and dynamics come around pretty often; rather more unusual are those written and played with this degree of care and compassion.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 12 Aug. 2026
The art of subtlety and nuance and true compassion and care for real-life people and real relationships is not a performance.

— Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of compassion

Noun

A number of cardiovascular conditions—including atrial fibrillation, a common heart rhythm disorder—are linked to cardiac neurons.

— Isabella Backman, Hartford Courant, 14 Aug. 2026
Maceta, moved to pity at times, would put an ear to his friend’s chest and hear how Ruiz’s heart leaped about inside his body, as though trying to fly apart.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of heart

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pit vipers

pity

pitying

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“Pity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pity. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of pity

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