pit‧y 1 S3 / pɪti / 名词

1 a pity spoken used to show that you are disappointed about something and you wish things could happen differently 同义词 shame

(it’s a) pity (that)

It’s a pity that he didn’t accept the job.

It’s a great pity Joyce wasn’t invited.

I like Charlie. Pity he had to marry that awful woman.

A pity we can’t find the guy who did it.

what/that’s a pity

‘Are you married?’ ‘No.’ ‘What a pity.’

it’s a pity to do something

It would be a pity to give up now – you’ve nearly finished.

2 [不可数名词] sympathy for a person or animal who is suffering or unhappy → piteous , pitiable , pitiful , pitiless

pity for

He looked exhausted, but Marie felt no pity for him.

I listened to Jason’s story with pity.

I hated the thought of being an object of pity (= someone who other people feel sorry for ) .

take/have pity on somebody (= feel sorry for someone and treat them with sympathy )

He sounded so upset that Leah started to take pity on him.

3 for pity’s sake British English spoken used to show that you are very annoyed and impatient :

For pity’s sake just shut up and let me drive!

4 more’s the pity especially British English spoken used after describing a situation, to show that you wish it was not true :

Sue’s not coming, more’s the pity.

COLLOCATIONS

动词

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.

短语

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.