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.

Pity vs Tragic - What's the difference?

pity | tragic |

In obsolete terms the difference between pity and tragic

is that pity is piety while tragic is a tragedy; a tragic drama.

As nouns the difference between pity and tragic

is that pity is a feeling of sympathy at the misfortune or suffering of someone or something while tragic is a writer of tragedy.

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 tragic is

causing great sadness or suffering.

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 ----

    tragic

    English

    Alternative forms

    * tragick (obsolete)

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Causing great sadness or suffering.
  • * {{quote-magazine, year=2012, month=March-April
  • , author=(Jan Sapp) , title=Race Finished , volume=100, issue=2, page=164 , magazine=(American Scientist) citation , passage=Few concepts are as emotionally charged as that of race. The word conjures up a mixture of associations—culture, ethnicity, genetics, subjugation, exclusion and persecution. But is the tragic history of efforts to define groups of people by race really a matter of the misuse of science, the abuse of a valid biological concept?}}
  • Relating to tragedy in a literary work.
  • (in tabloid newspapers) Involved in a tragedy.
  • * 2008', ''Search for '''tragic Madeleine McCann over'' (in ''The Daily Telegraph of Australia, 14 February 2008) [http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/search-for-maddie-over/story-e6freuy9-1111115550129]
  • * 2012', Gary Meneely, ''Keano’s tribute to '''tragic James'' (in ''The Irish Sun , 25 June 2012) [http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/irishsun/irishsunnews/4392499/Keanos-tribute-to-tragic-James.html]
  • Derived terms

    * tragic flaw

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (obsolete) A writer of tragedy.
  • (obsolete) A tragedy; a tragic drama.
  • (Webster 1913)