Pitiable describes someone or something that deserves pity because they're in a sad, pathetic, or unfortunate condition. When a stray dog limps down the street, cold and hungry, it's a pitiable sight. When a character in a story loses everything through bad luck and poor choices, they become a pitiable figure.

The word carries a certain weight: it suggests the person or thing has fallen into unfortunate circumstances that make others feel sympathy or sadness. A student who fails one test isn't pitiable, but a student who gives up entirely and stops trying might become pitiable in the eyes of their teachers.

Sometimes pitiable describes things that are so inadequate they inspire pity rather than respect. A pitiable excuse is one so weak and transparent that it makes you feel embarrassed for the person giving it. A pitiable attempt at something is so feeble that you almost wish the person hadn't tried at all.

The word is closely related to pitiful, though pitiable often emphasizes that something genuinely deserves your sympathy, while pitiful can lean more toward contempt. Either way, being described as pitiable is never a compliment.