Mawson, C.O.S., ed. (1870–1938). Roget’s International Thesaurus. 1922.
Class VI. Words Relating to the Sentient and Moral PowersSection III. Sympathetic Affections
3. Special Sympathetic Affections
914. Pity.
NOUN:PITY, compassion, commiseration; bowels, – of compassion; sympathy, fellow-feeling, tenderness, soft-heartedness, yearning, forbearance, humanity, mercy, clemency; leniency (lenity) [See Lenity]; exorability, exorableness; charity, ruth, long-suffering.melting mood; argumentum ad misericordiam [L.]; quarter, grace, locus pænitentiæ [L.].
SYMPATHIZER; advocate, friend, par- tisan, patron, wellwisher, defender, champion.
VERB:PITY; have -, show -, take- pity &c. n.; commiserate, compassionate; condole [See Condolence]; sympathize; feel for, be sorry for, yearn over; weep, melt, thaw, enter into the feelings of.
forbear, relent, relax, give quarter, wipe the tears, parcere subjectis [L.]; give a coup de grâce [F.], put out of one’s misery; be cruel to be kind.
RAISE or EXCITE PITY &c. n.; touch, soften, melt, melt the heart; appeal, – to one’s better feelings; propitiate, disarm.
SUPPLICATE (request) [See Request]; ask for mercy &c. n.; cry for quarter, beg one’s life, kneel; deprecate.
ADJECTIVE:PITYING &c. v.; pitiful, compassionate, sympathetic, touched.
merciful, clement, ruthful; humane; humanitarian (philanthropic) [See Philanthropy]; tender, tender-hearted; soft, soft-hearted; unhardened; lenient [See Lenity]; exorable, forbearing; melting &c. v.; weak.
INTERJECTION:for pity’s sake! mercy! have -, cry you- mercy! God help you! poor -thing, – dear, – fellow! woe betide! quis talia fando temperet a lachrymis! [Vergil]. QUOTATIONS:
- One’s heart bleeding for.
- Haud ignara mali miseris succurrere disco.—Vergil
- A fellow feeling makes one wondrous kind.—Garrick
- Onor di bocca assai giova e poco costa.
- Taught by that Power that pities me, I learn to pity them.—Goldsmith