different between mournful vs pitiful

English

Alternative forms

• mournfull

Etymology

mourn +? -ful

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?m??nf?l/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?m??nf?l/
• (rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger) IPA^(key): /?mo(?)?nf?l/
• (non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger) IPA^(key): /?mo?nf?l/
• Hyphenation: mourn?ful

Adjective

mournful (comparative mournfuller or more mournful, superlative mournfullest or most mournful)

1. Filled with grief or sadness; being in a state in which one mourns.
2. Fit to inspire mourning; tragic.
   • 1845, Edgar Allan Poe, The Fall of the House of Usher

     Having deposited our mournful burden upon tressels within this region of horror, we partially turned aside the yet unscrewed lid of the coffin, and looked upon the face of the tenant.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:sad

Translations

English

Alternative forms

• pitifull (archaic)

Etymology

From Middle English pityful, piteful, piteeful, equivalent to pity +? -ful.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?p?t.?.fl?/

Adjective

pitiful (comparative pitifuller, superlative pitifullest)

1. (now rare) Feeling pity; merciful.
   • 1851, Herman Melville, Moby-Dick:

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

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

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:lamentable

3. Of an amount or number: very small.

Related terms

• pitiable
• pity

Translations

Adverb

pitiful (comparative more pitiful, superlative most pitiful)

1. (colloquial, dialect) In a pitiful manner; pitifully; piteously; pathetically.

Translations