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Tenderness vs Pity - What's the difference?

tenderness | pity | Synonyms |

Tenderness is a synonym of pity.


As nouns the difference between tenderness and pity

is that tenderness is a tendency to express warm, compassionate feelings while 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.

tenderness

English

Noun

(es)
  • a tendency to express warm, compassionate feelings
    • When the lovers were together, their cold indifference gave way to love and tenderness .
  • concern for the feelings or welfare of others
    • When they saw the poor orphans, they were overwhelmed with tenderness for them.
  • pain or discomfort when an affected area is touched
    • He noted her extreme tenderness when he touched the bruise on her thigh.

    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 ----