Piteousness

1 definition found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Piteous \Pit"e*ous\, a. [OE. pitous, OF. pitos, F. piteux. See
     {Pity}.]
     1. Pious; devout. [Obs.]
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              The Lord can deliver piteous men from temptation.


                                                    --Wyclif.
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     2. Evincing pity, compassion, or sympathy; compassionate;
        tender. "[She] piteous of his case." --Pope.
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              She was so charitable and so pitous.  --Chaucer.
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     3. Fitted to excite pity or sympathy; wretched; miserable;
        lamentable; sad; as, a piteous case.        --Spenser.
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              The most piteous tale of Lear.        --Shak.
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     4. Paltry; mean; pitiful. "Piteous amends." --Milton.
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     Syn: Sorrowful; mournful; affecting; doleful; woeful; rueful;
          sad; wretched; miserable; pitiable; pitiful;
          compassionate.
          [1913 Webster] -- {Pit"e*ous*ly}, adv. --
          {Pit"e*ous*ness}, n.
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