different between woeful vs pitiful

English

Alternative forms

• (obsolete) woful, wofull

Etymology

From Middle English woful, waful, equivalent to woe +? -ful. Compare Old English w?l?? (“woeful”), Old English t?onful (“woeful”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?w??f?l/

Adjective

woeful (comparative woefuller, superlative woefullest)

1. Full of woe; sorrowful; distressed with grief or calamity.

   • How many woeful widows left to bow / To sad disgrace!

2. Bringing calamity, distress, or affliction.

   a woeful event

   a woeful lack of restraint

3. Lamentable, deplorable.
4. Wretched; paltry; poor.

Derived terms

• woefully
• woefulness

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:lamentable

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