pity

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++pit·y1 /ˈpɪti/ ●●○ S3 noun  1  a pity spokenPITY/IT'S A PITY used to show that you are disappointed about something and you wish things could happen differently 真可惜，真遗憾 SYN shame(it’s a) pity (that) It’s a pity that he didn’t accept the job. 他没有接受那份工作真可惜。 It’s a great pity Joyce wasn’t invited. 乔伊斯没有受到邀请太遗憾了。 I like Charlie. Pity he had to marry that awful woman. 我喜欢查利，遗憾的是他得和那个糟糕的女人结婚。 A pity we can’t find the guy who did it. 真遗憾我们找不到那个干了这件事的家伙。what/that’s a pity ‘Are you married?’ ‘No.’ ‘What a pity.’ “你结婚了吗？”“没有。”“真遗憾。”it’s a pity to do something It would be a pity to give up now – you’ve nearly finished. 现在放弃太可惜，你差不多就要完成了。2  [uncountable]SYMPATHIZE sympathy for a person or animal who is suffering or unhappy 怜悯，同情 → piteous, pitiable, pitiful, pitilesspity for He looked exhausted, but Marie felt no pity for him. 他看上去疲惫不堪，但玛丽一点也不同情他。 I listened to Jason’s story with pity. 我同情地听贾森讲述他的故事。 I hated the thought of being an object of pity (=someone who other people feel sorry for). 我不喜欢被人怜悯。take/have pity on somebody (=feel sorry for someone and treat them with sympathy) 同情某人 He sounded so upset that Leah started to take pity on him. 他听上去非常难过，利娅开始同情他了。3  for pity’s sake British English spokenANNOY used to show that you are very annoyed and impatient 请发发慈悲吧，请可怜可怜吧〔用于表示非常烦恼和不耐烦〕 For pity’s sake just shut up and let me drive! 请发发慈悲，闭上嘴让我开车吧！4  more’s the pity spoken especially British EnglishPITY/IT'S A PITY used after describing a situation, to show that you wish it was not true 太不幸了，太可惜了〔用于描述某个情况之后，希望那不是真的〕 Sue’s not coming, more’s the pity. 休不来了，太可惜了。n COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 2: sympathy for a person or animal who is suffering or unhappyverbsfeel pity (for somebody)No one can look at these photographs and not feel pity.take/have pity (on somebody) (=feel sorry for someone and treat them with sympathy)He was expecting a prison sentence but the judge took pity on him.phrasesbe filled with pity/full of pityHis heart was filled with pity for them.a feeling/sense of pityAnnie experienced a sudden feeling of pity for the young man.a wave/surge of pityThe woman looked so dejected that a wave of pity washed over me.a twinge/stab of pity (=a small feeling of pity)Charles even felt a twinge of pity for Mrs Sweet.an object of pity (=someone who people feel sorry for)He was a proud man and he didn't want to be treated as an object of pity.

Examples from the Corpus

pity• It is a pity, for much of the pleasure of carp fishing is this tuning-in of a highly developed hunting instinct.• More often auctions are not reviewed; this is a pity, since the management of markets in art deserves scrutiny.• Even at nine years old, I thought it was a pity the Druitt women wrinkled up so early.• A pity the author only got the respect she deserved after her untimely death.• He looked up and saw Sylvia looking at him with apprehension and pity.• A jury felt enough pity for the mayor to find him guilty of a mere misdemeanor rather than a felony.• I have no pity for people who lie and get caught.• She was full of pity for the little boy with no one to love and care for him.• I felt an unusual twinge of pity for him and reached out and clasped one of his hands in mine.• It's a civil war. They don't want our pity, they need our help.• I felt such pity for that you girl sitting alone in the bus station.• When I returned to school, my classmates looked at me with pity in their eyes.object of pity• Joe hated being an object of pity at school.• Because of this, a household obliged to sponsor many feasts gains no prestige, but becomes rather an object of pity.• The poor themselves were presented more realistically, whether as sources of threat or as objects of pity.pity2 ●●○ verb (pitied, pitying, pities) [transitive not usually in progressive]  SYMPATHIZEto feel sorry for someone because they are in a very bad situation 同情，怜悯；可怜 I pity anyone who has to feed a family on such a low income. 我同情那些得依靠如此微薄的收入养活全家的人。 Sam pitied his grandmother there alone, never going out. 萨姆很同情独自生活、从不出门的祖母。 Pity the poor teachers who have to deal with these kids. 同情一下那几位可怜的老师吧，他们不得不和这些孩子打交道。 RegisterIn everyday English, people usually say that they feel sorry for someone rather than pity them: 在日常英语中,人们一般说 feel sorry for 某人,而不说 pityI feel sorry for his wife. 我很同情他的妻子。→ See Verb table

Examples from the Corpus

pity• Lucy is much to be pitied.• She could not apologize, but she could still pity.• I pity anyone who has to live with Rick.• He felt pity for Marla out there all by herself in some little nowhere town.• She would never allow him a reason to pity her again, to hold her in contempt.• I had pitied her up there alone, never going out in the evenings, without friends.• I don't want you to pity me - I just want you to help me.• He knew that he had served Zeus well and that he had done right to pity mortals in their helplessness.• On the ballot Tuesday should be the question: Which Bay baseball team do you pity the most?Origin pity1 (1200-1300) Old French pité, from Latin pietas “piety, pity”, from pius; → PIOUS

pit·y1 noun →n COLLOCATIONS1pity2 verb →REGISTER1LDOCE OnlineChineseSyllable  

to show you used that Corpus are

pity

I

pit‧y¹ S3 /ˈpɪti/ noun1. a pity spoken used to show that you are disappointed about something and you wish things could happen differently
   SYN  shame
    (it’s a) pity (that)
    It’s a pity that he didn’t accept the job.
    It’s a great pity Joyce wasn’t invited.
    I like Charlie. Pity he had to marry that awful woman.
    A pity we can’t find the guy who did it.
    what/that’s a pity
    ‘Are you married?’ ‘No.’ ‘What a pity.’
    it’s a pity to do something
    It would be a pity to give up now – you’ve nearly finished.
2. [uncountable] sympathy for a person or animal who is suffering or unhappy ⇨ piteous, pitiable, pitiful, pitiless
    pity for
    He looked exhausted, but Marie felt no pity for him.
    I listened to Jason’s story with pity.
    I hated the thought of being an object of pity (=someone who other people feel sorry for).
    take/have pity on somebody (=feel sorry for someone and treat them with sympathy)
    He sounded so upset that Leah started to take pity on him.
3. for pity’s sake British English spoken used to show that you are very annoyed and impatient:
    For pity’s sake just shut up and let me drive!
4. more’s the pity especially British English spoken used after describing a situation, to show that you wish it was not true:
    Sue’s not coming, more’s the pity.
     

COLLOCATIONS

(for Meaning 2)

■ verbs
   ▪ feel pity (for somebody) No one can look at these photographs and not feel pity.
   ▪ take/have pity (on somebody) (=feel sorry for someone and treat them with sympathy) He was expecting a prison sentence but the judge took pity on him.
■ phrases
   ▪ be filled with pity/full of pity His heart was filled with pity for them.
   ▪ a feeling/sense of pity Annie experienced a sudden feeling of pity for the young man.
   ▪ a wave/surge of pity The woman looked so dejected that a wave of pity washed over me.
   ▪ a twinge/stab of pity (=a small feeling of pity) Charles even felt a twinge of pity for Mrs Sweet.
   ▪ an object of pity (=someone who people feel sorry for) He was a proud man and he didn't want to be treated as an object of pity.

II

pity² verb (past tense and past participle pitied, present participle pitying, third person singular pities) [transitive not usually in progressive]
to feel sorry for someone because they are in a very bad situation:
    I pity anyone who has to feed a family on such a low income.
    Sam pitied his grandmother there alone, never going out.
    Pity the poor teachers who have to deal with these kids.
  REGISTER
    In everyday English, people usually say that they feel sorry for someone rather than pity them:
   ▪ I feel sorry for his wife.
     

THESAURUS

   ▪ sympathize (also sympathise British English) /ˈsɪmpəθaɪz/ to feel sad for someone because you understand their problems: It must be awful for you – I do sympathize. | He told me how difficult it was dealing with his parents, and I sympathized with him.
   ▪ feel sorry for somebody to feel sad for someone because they have had bad luck or are in a difficult situation: I felt really sorry for him when he lost his job. | It’s his wife I feel sorry for – on her own with four kids.
   ▪ understand to realize how someone feels and why they behave the way they do, and be kind to them: I’m sure if you talk to him, he’ll understand. | It’s important to try and understand teenagers.
   ▪ pity to feel sad for someone because they are in a very difficult situation: The man paled when they found him guilty, and I pitied him. | I pity anyone who has to feed a family on such a low income.