Pitifully
/ˈpɪt.i.fəl.i/noun
In a manner that arouses pity or is deserving of pity.
Did you know?Pitifully comes from *pity*, a word that entered English through Old French from Latin *pietas*—the same root behind ideas of duty, reverence, and devotion, not just tears.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*peh₂-
“to protect, care for”
Latin
Latin
pietās
“dutifulness, devotion, reverence”
Old French
Old French
pité
“compassion, pity”
Middle English
English
piti
“pity, compassion”
Late Middle English
English
pitiful
“full of pity; deserving pity”
Modern English
English
pitifully
“in a manner that arouses pity or contempt”