\Pit"y\, n.; pl. {Pities}. [OE. pite, OF. pit['e],
piti['e], F. piti['e], L. pietas piety, kindness, pity. See
{Pious}, and cf. {Piety}.]
1. Piety. [Obs.] --Wyclif.
2. A feeling for the sufferings or distresses of another or
   others; sympathy with the grief or misery of another;
   compassion; fellow-feeling; commiseration.
         He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the
         Lord.                                 --Prov. xix.
                                               17.
         He . . . has no more pity in him than a dog. --Shak.
3. A reason or cause of pity, grief, or regret; a thing to be
   regretted. ``The more the pity.'' --Shak.
         What pity is it That we can die but once to serve
         our country!                          --Addison.
Note: In this sense, sometimes used in the plural, especially
      in the colloquialism: ``It is a thousand pities.''
Syn: Compassion; mercy; commiseration; condolence; sympathy,
     fellow-suffering; fellow-feeling. -- {Pity}, {Sympathy},
     {Compassion}. Sympathy is literally fellow-feeling, and
     therefore requiers a certain degree of equality in
     situation, circumstances, etc., to its fullest exercise.
     Compassion is deep tenderness for another under severe
     or inevitable misfortune. Pity regards its object not
     only as suffering, but weak, and hence as inferior.

\Pit"y\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Pitied}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Pitying}.]
1. To feel pity or compassion for; to have sympathy with; to
   compassionate; to commiserate; to have tender feelings
   toward (any one), awakened by a knowledge of suffering.
         Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord
         pitieth them that fear him.           --Ps. ciii.
                                               13.
2. To move to pity; -- used impersonally. [Obs.]
         It pitieth them to see her in the dust. --Bk. of
                                               Com. Prayer.

\Pit"y\, v. i.
To be compassionate; to show pity.
      I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy. --Jer.
                                               xiii. 14.