Adjective

(en adjective)

deserving contempt

* {{quote-book

, year=between 1812 and 1814 , author= , title= , chapter=1 , passage=Miss Ward’s match, indeed, when it came to the point, was not contemptible : Sir Thomas being happily able to give his friend an income in the living of Mansfield...}}

Adjective

(pitifuller)

Feeling pity; merciful.

* 1851 , Herman Melville, Moby-Dick :

Straightway, he now goes on to make a full confession; whereupon the mariners became more and more appalled, but still are pitiful .

So appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it; eliciting pity.

Scotland has a pitiful climate.

Very small (of an amount or number).

A pitiful number of students bothered to turn up.