What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Piteous vs Dismal - What's the difference?

piteous | dismal | Related terms |

Piteous is a related term of dismal.


As adjectives the difference between piteous and dismal

is that piteous is pitiful; evincing pity, compassion, or sympathy while dismal is disappointingly inadequate.

piteous

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • pitiful; evincing pity, compassion, or sympathy.
  • * Shakespeare
    • The most piteous tale of Lear.
  • (obsolete) pious; devout
  • * Wyclif
    • The Lord can deliver piteous men from temptation.
  • (obsolete) compassionate; tender
  • * Alexander Pope
    • [She was] piteous of his case.
  • (obsolete) paltry; mean; pitiful
    • (Milton)

    Synonyms

    * pathetic

    Derived terms

    * piteously

    Related terms

    * see (pity)

    dismal

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Disappointingly inadequate.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2012, date=April 22, author=Sam Sheringham, work=BBC Sport
    • , title= Liverpool 0-1 West Brom , passage=Liverpool's efforts thereafter had an air of desperation as their dismal 2012 league form continued.}}
  • Gloomy and bleak.
  • Depressing.
  • *, chapter=12
    • , title= Mr. Pratt's Patients , passage=So, after a spell, he decided to make the best of it and shoved us into the front parlor. 'Twas a dismal sort of place, with hair wreaths, and wax fruit, and tin lambrekins, and land knows what all. It looked like a tomb and smelt pretty nigh as musty and dead-and-gone.}}

    Usage notes

    * Nouns to which "dismal" is often applied: failure, performance, state, record, place, result, scene, season, year, economy, future, fate, weather, news, condition, history.

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Derived terms

    * dismal science