pity

psychology

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 1, 2026

Quick Summary

Pity is a feeling of sympathetic sorrow for someone experiencing distress or misfortune. It involves a capacity to feel for another's unhappiness. This emotion can be expressed through kindness, compassion, mercy, and humanity.12

While pity is a tender sorrow, compassion implies a stronger desire to help or spare the suffering person. Commiseration involves outwardly expressing pity, and condolence is a formal expression of grief. Pity can also refer to something regrettable, such as missing an opportunity. The term originates from the Latin word "pietas," meaning piety or pity.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

3 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

emotion
The variety and complexity of emotions
Such are anger, pity, fear and the like, with their opposites.” Emotion is indeed a heterogeneous category that encompasses a wide variety of important psychological phenomena. Some emotions are very specific, insofar as they concern a particular person, object, or situation. Others, such as distress, joy, or depression,…
Read More
Such are anger, pity, fear and the like, with their opposites.” Emotion is indeed a heterogeneous category that encompasses a wide variety of important psychological phenomena. Some emotions are very specific, insofar as they concern a particular person, object, or situation. Others, such as distress, joy, or depression,…
Read More