Pitifully

2 definitions found

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

  Pitiful \Pit"i*ful\, a.
     1. Full of pity; tender-hearted; compassionate; kind;
        merciful; sympathetic.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              The Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.


                                                    --James v. 11.
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     2. Piteous; lamentable; eliciting compassion.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              A thing, indeed, very pitiful and horrible.
                                                    --Spenser.
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     3. To be pitied for littleness or meanness; miserable;
        paltry; contemptible; despicable.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              That's villainous, and shows a most pitiful ambition
              in the fool that uses it.             --Shak.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Syn: Despicable; mean; paltry. See {Contemptible}.
          [1913 Webster] -- {Pit"i*ful*ly}, adv. --
          {Pit"i*ful*ness}, n.
          [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  pitifully
       adv : to a pitiful degree; "wages were pitifully low, particularly
             the wages of women"