Synonyms for pity

noun

1. Compassionate feeling

   sympathy, compassion, charity, commiseration, condolence, softheartedness, tenderness, pathos, compunction, understanding, mercy, forbearance, ruth, warmheartedness, kindliness, fellow feeling, brotherly love, unselfishness, benevolence, favor, philanthropy, largeheartedness, clemency, humanity; see also kindness 1.

   Antonyms hatred*, severity, ferocity.

2. Anything that might move one to pity, sense 1

   mishap, mischance, ill luck; see catastrophe, disaster, misfortune 1.

pity implies sorrow felt for another's suffering or misfortune, sometimes connoting slight contempt because the object is regarded as weak or inferior he felt pity for a man so ignorant; compassion implies sorrow for another's sufferings or trouble accompanied by an urge to help or spare moved by compassion, they did not press for payment; commiseration implies openly expressed feelings of pity or sympathetic sorrow she wept with her friend in commiseration; sympathy, in this connection, implies such kinship of feeling as enables one to really understand or even to share the sorrow, trouble, etc. of another a friend I can always turn to for sympathy; condolence now usually implies a formal expression of sympathy with another in deep sorrow a letter of condolence

have <strong>or </strong>take pity on

verb

1. To feel pity for

   feel sorry for, feel for, sympathize with, commiserate, be sorry for, condole, be sympathetic to, show sympathy, express sympathy for, feel with, bleed for, grieve with, weep for; see also comfort, sympathize.

   Antonyms censure*, rebuke, become angry.

2. To be merciful to

   spare, take pity on, show pity to, show forgiveness to, have mercy on, pardon, give quarter, put out of one's misery, reprieve, grant amnesty to; see also forgive 1.

   Antonyms destroy*, condemn, accuse.