Basic Details
Word: Pity
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: A feeling of sadness for someone who is suffering or in trouble; also used for something that is a shame, as in 'It is a pity'.
Synonyms: sympathy, compassion, sorrow
Antonyms: cruelty, indifference
How to Spell Pity
Syllables: pi - ty
Tricky part: There is only one t. Students often double it (pitty) because the i is short. When an ending is added, the y turns to i: pitied, pitiful.
Watch out for: pitty, pittie, pitey
Memory tip: Pity has one t, just like city. Swap the c of city for a p.
Idioms and Phrases
- take pity on: to help someone because you feel sorry for them Example: "The old watchman took pity on the lost boy and walked him home."
Usage Examples
Example 1: It is a pity that the rain spoiled the school sports day.
Example 2: She looked at the injured pigeon with pity and wrapped it in a towel.
Example 3: He did not want pity; he wanted a fair chance to play.
Fun Fact
Pity and piety both come from Latin pietas, which meant dutiful care for family and the gods.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
The shopkeeper felt pitty for the shivering puppy and let it sleep beside the warm stove all through the winter night.
a) stove
b) shopkeeper
c) shivering
d) pitty
Show answer
d) pitty. A short i does not always mean a double letter; pity keeps a single t, like city.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word pity as used in the sentence:
We felt pity for the farmers whose wheat was flattened by the hailstorm.
a) pride
b) sympathy
c) envy
d) anger
Show answer
b) sympathy. Feeling sorry for the farmers is sympathy; anger, envy and pride are quite different feelings.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one of these words is spelt correctly. Choose its meaning:
1. dilema 2. pity 3. guarentee 4. rhythem
a) a firm promise that something will be done
b) a regular repeated pattern of sounds
c) a hard choice between two options
d) sorrow felt for someone who is suffering
Show answer
d) sorrow felt for someone who is suffering. Dilemma wants two m's, rhythm has no e and guarantee has an a after the r, so pity is the correct one.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. 'It is a pity you missed the show' means ____.
a) you were wrong to miss it
b) you were lucky to miss it
c) it is sad that you missed it
d) the show was not worth seeing
Show answer
c) it is sad that you missed it
2. Someone who takes pity on a stray dog is likely to ____.
a) ignore it completely
b) chase it out of the lane
c) give it food and shelter
d) shout at it to go away
Show answer
c) give it food and shelter
