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Pity vs Sentimental - What's the difference?

pity | sentimental |

As a noun pity

is (uncountable) a feeling of sympathy at the misfortune or suffering of someone or something.

As a verb pity

is to feel pity for (someone or something).

As an interjection pity

is short form of what a pity.

As an adjective sentimental is

characterized by sentiment, sentimentality or excess emotion.

pity

English

Alternative forms

* pitty (obsolete)

Noun

  • (uncountable) A feeling of sympathy at the misfortune or suffering of someone or something.
  • * Bible, Proverbs xix. 17
  • He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord.
  • * Shakespeare
  • Hehas no more pity in him than a dog.
  • *, Folio Society, 2006, p.5:
  • The most usuall way to appease those minds we have offendedis, by submission to move them to commiseration and pitty .
  • (countable) Something regrettable.
  • It's a pity you're feeling unwell because there's a party on tonight.
  • * Laurence Sterne
  • It was a thousand pities .
  • * Addison
  • What pity is it / That we can die but once to serve our country!
  • (obsolete) piety
  • (Wyclif)

    Synonyms

    * (mercy) ruth * (something regrettable) shame

    Verb

    (en-verb)
  • To feel pity for (someone or something).
  • * Bible, Psalms ciii. 13
  • Like as a father pitieth' his children, so the Lord ' pitieth them that fear him.
  • * 1596 , (Edmund Spenser), The Faerie Queene , IV.11:
  • She lenger yet is like captiv'd to bee; / That even to thinke thereof it inly pitties mee.
  • * Book of Common Prayer
  • It pitieth them to see her in the dust.

    Interjection

  • Short form of what a pity.
  • Synonyms

    * shame, what a pity, what a shame

    Derived terms

    * piteous * pitiable * pitiful * self-pity * what a pity ----

    sentimental

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • characterized by sentiment, sentimentality or excess emotion
  • derived from emotion rather than reason; of or caused by sentiment
  • romantic
  • Derived terms

    * sentimentalism * sentimentality * sentimentally

    Quotations

    * 1885 : , *: Are you in sentimental mood? *: I'll sigh with you. * 1944 : , *: Gonna take a Sentimental Journey, *: Gonna set my heart at ease. *: Gonna make a Sentimental Journey, *: to renew old memories.

    Anagrams

    * ----