Regretful vs Pitiful - What's the difference?

As adjectives the difference between regretful and pitiful

is that regretful is full of feelings of regret, indulging in regrets while pitiful is feeling pity; merciful.

(en adjective)

Full of feelings of regret, indulging in regrets.

Sorrowful about what has been lost or done.

* (full of regret) repining, rueful, sorrowful

* regretfully * regretfulness * unregretful

* *

* 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