piteously

In a piteous manner; pathetically; plaintively.

Adverb

  1. In a piteous manner; pathetically; plaintively.
    • He had been quite familiar with one old ghost, in a white waistcoat, with a monstrous iron safe attached to its ankle, who cried piteously at being unable to assist a wretched woman with an infant, whom it saw below,...
    • Across her mind, and bowing over him, Low to her own heart piteously she said: - 1859, Alfred Tennyson, “Enid”, in Idylls of the King, London: Edward Moxon & Co., […], →OCLC, page 5:
    • Little Sea and Desire would wail piteously over my body for a day, and then I should be quickly forgotten. - 1929, Robert Dean Frisbee, The Book of Puka-Puka, Eland, published 2019, page 194:

Origin

From Middle English piteuously, pitously; equivalent to piteous + -ly.

Forms

more piteously most piteously