pity

Word family adjectivepitiablepitifulpitilesspityingnounpitiablenesspitierpitifulnesspitilessnesspityadverbpitiablypitifullypitilesslypityingly

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。

Examples from the Corpus

great pity• He says all the signs are it could soon be as bad as last year, which would be a great pity.• This by-law has never been repealed and it is a great pity that it is not still rigidly enforced.• If you can go again this is no problem, but for the once-only visitor it is a great pity.• It is a great pity that such reactionary ideas are still harboured by the Labour party in Havering and elsewhere.• For myself, a great pity.• It's a great pity she can't be included.• It was a great pity that the team was not allowed to perform at other displays during the anniversary year.

2 [uncountableU]SYMPATHIZE sympathy for a person or animal who is suffering or unhappy 怜悯，同情 → piteous, pitiable, pitiful, pitiless

pity 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 EnglishBrE 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 EnglishBrEPITY/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。

Examples from the Corpus

more’s the pity• They don't make films like his anymore - more's the pity.• No Jane Carlyle, more's the pity.• Now I'm too old to fall in love, more's the pity.• I'm afraid this car doesn't belong to me, more's the pity.• General Motors and Ford have not been dogged by raiders - more's the pity.• So, more's the pity, are men like Sir Gordon Reece.• The new staff are all women, more's the pity.

n COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 2: sympathy for a person or animal who is suffering or unhappy

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.

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) [transitiveT 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。

In 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 pity

I feel sorry for his wife.

我很同情他的妻子。

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

单词	pity
释义	pity Word family adjectivepitiablepitifulpitilesspityingnounpitiablenesspitierpitifulnesspitilessnesspityadverbpitiablypitifullypitilesslypityingly 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。 Examples from the Corpus great pity• He says all the signs are it could soon be as bad as last year, which would be a great pity.• This by-law has never been repealed and it is a great pity that it is not still rigidly enforced.• If you can go again this is no problem, but for the once-only visitor it is a great pity.• It is a great pity that such reactionary ideas are still harboured by the Labour party in Havering and elsewhere.• For myself, a great pity.• It's a great pity she can't be included.• It was a great pity that the team was not allowed to perform at other displays during the anniversary year. 2 [uncountableU]SYMPATHIZE sympathy for a person or animal who is suffering or unhappy 怜悯，同情 → piteous, pitiable, pitiful, pitiless pity 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 EnglishBrE 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 EnglishBrEPITY/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。 Examples from the Corpus more’s the pity• They don't make films like his anymore - more's the pity.• No Jane Carlyle, more's the pity.• Now I'm too old to fall in love, more's the pity.• I'm afraid this car doesn't belong to me, more's the pity.• General Motors and Ford have not been dogged by raiders - more's the pity.• So, more's the pity, are men like Sir Gordon Reece.• The new staff are all women, more's the pity. n COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 2: sympathy for a person or animal who is suffering or unhappy 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. 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) [transitiveT 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。 Register In 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 pity I feel sorry for his wife. 我很同情他的妻子。 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
随便看	the lambeth conference the-lambeth-conference the lambeth walk the-lambeth-walk the lamb of god the-lamb-of-god the lancet the-lancet thelancet the land the land of milk and honey the-land-of-nod the land of nod the larger issues the larger issues/question/problem/picture the larger picture the larger problem the larger question the last the last but one the last but one/the next but two etc the last/final word the last I heard the last judgment the last minute