pitifully

IPA/ˈpɪtɪfəli/
KK[pˈɪtɪfəli]IPA/ˈpɪtɪfəli/

pitifully — adverb

1. so as to make other people feel sorry for you, because you come across as weak,

1.副詞B2
釋義

so as to make other people feel sorry for you, because you come across as weak, unhappy, or in distress

例句

The stray dog looked up at Mei-Lin with pitifully sad eyes.

collocation: pitifully + adjective (sad)

Yuki wept pitifully when she heard the news about her missing cat.

verb collocation: weep / cry pitifully

同義詞
  • sadly

    focuses on the feeling of unhappiness rather than on arousing sympathy from others

  • piteously

    more formal or literary; emphasises that the situation deserves pity

  • pathetically

    can overlap but often carries a critical or dismissive tone

文法句型

pitifully + verb

pitifully + adjective

常見錯誤

❌The puppy cried pitifully when I stepped on its tail.
✅The puppy yelped pitifully when I accidentally stepped on its tail.
💡'cry' is for tears; 'yelp' or 'whimper' is more accurate for animal sounds.

2. to such a low standard or degree that people see it as shameful, disappointing,

2.副詞C1
釋義

to such a low standard or degree that people see it as shameful, disappointing, or not worthy of respect

例句

The team's performance in the final match was pitifully weak, losing six to zero.

collocation: pitifully + adjective (weak)

The company offered its workers a pitifully small raise that barely covered inflation.

collocation: pitifully + adjective (small)

同義詞
  • dismally

    focuses on the gloomy or depressing result rather than the shameful quality

  • woefully

    emphasises how far short of a reasonable standard something falls

  • lamentably

    more formal; suggests the outcome is regrettable

反義詞
  • impressively

    to a degree that earns admiration rather than disappointment

文法句型

pitifully + adjective (weak/small/inadequate)

用法筆記

Frequently modifies adjectives that express lack or insufficiency (small, low, weak, inadequate, poor). Unlike sense 1, this sense does not describe a person's emotional appeal but criticises the degree or quality of something.

常見錯誤

❌His attempt was pitifully failed.
✅His attempt was pitifully weak.
💡'pitifully' modifies an adjective, not a verb.