1
be pitiful
常用于形容事物令人同情或可悲。
His attempt at a joke was pitiful.
他试图讲的笑话很可怜。
可怜的，令人同情的
先理解核心含义，再看它在真实句子里的用法。
可怜的，令人同情的
deserving or arousing pity
His attempt at a joke was pitiful.
他试图讲的笑话很可怜。
令人感到悲惨或可怜的；引起同情的
So appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it; eliciting pity.
激起轻蔑与怜悯交织之情的
inspiring mixed contempt and pity
引起轻蔑的
Eliciting contempt.
糟糕的；不幸的
bad; unfortunate
The abandoned puppy looked so pitiful that everyone wanted to adopt it.
那只被遗弃的小狗看起来如此可怜，以至于每个人都想收养它。
AI contextual example
His pitiful attempts to apologize only made the situation worse.
他那些可悲的道歉尝试只会让情况更糟。
AI contextual example
It is pitiful that such a talented artist has to work as a janitor.
这么有才华的艺术家竟然要当门卫，真是可悲。
AI contextual example
pitiful exhibition of cowardice
可鄙的怯懦表现。
WordNet
常用于形容事物令人同情或可悲。
His attempt at a joke was pitiful.
他试图讲的笑话很可怜。
名词前做定语，带有贬义。
They made a pitiful excuse for their failure.
他们为失败找了一个可鄙的借口。
it作形式主语，that从句为真正主语。
It is pitiful that so many people live in poverty.
如此多的人生活在贫困中真是令人同情。
Not this
He is a pitiful.
Use this
He is pitiful.
pitiful 是形容词，不能用作名词。表示“他是一个可怜的人”应使用形容词作表语，而非名词结构。
Not this
I pitiful him.
Use this
I pity him.
pitiful 是形容词，不能用作动词。表示“我同情他”应使用动词 pity，而非形容词 pitiful。
Focus on the distinctions below. Other candidates are kept compact until a reliable usage note is available.
凄惨的景象
The homeless man was a pitiful sight.
那个无家可归的人看上去真令人同情。
拙劣的借口
He offered a pitiful excuse for being late.
他为迟到找了一个拙劣的借口。
可怜的处境
After the illness, she was in a pitiful state.
病后她身体状况很差，令人同情。
少得可怜的工资
They worked long hours for pitiful wages.
他们长时间工作，工资却少得可怜。
显得可怜巴巴
The puppy looked pitiful in the rain.
那只小狗在雨中显得可怜巴巴。
令人心酸的哭喊声
We could hear a pitiful cry from the ruins.
我们能听到废墟中传来令人心酸的哭喊声。
你是个可悲的傻瓜。
The abandoned kitten was a pitiful sight.
那只被遗弃的小猫看起来真可怜。
Use pitiful naturally, then get feedback on meaning, tone, grammar, and phrasing.
Revisit a common error or keep this word in your review list.
看到有人掉进坑（pit）里，自然心生 pity（同情），所以 pitiful 就是‘可怜的、令人同情的’。
语域：neutral 常见场景：描述惨状或令人同情的人/事、形容事物差劲、可鄙 pitiful 既可以表示“可怜的、令人同情的”，也可以表示“可鄙的、糟糕的”，语气比较直接。通常用于书面或正式语境，日常口语中也会使用，但后一种含义带有明显贬义，需根据上下文判断。
常作定语或表语；可用it作形式主语，后接that从句。
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY.