Dismissive vs Pitiful - What's the difference?

As adjectives the difference between dismissive and pitiful

is that dismissive is showing disregard, indicating rejection, serving to dismiss while pitiful is feeling pity; merciful.

(en adjective)

Showing disregard, indicating rejection, serving to dismiss.

* contemptuous * indifferent

* dismissively * dismissiveness

* pitifull (archaic)

(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.

* See also