Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A white dog in the backyard near my home barks piteously with no apparent reason but boredom.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 28, 2022

The poor creature mewed and yowled so piteously that he could not help feeling sorry for it.

From Washington Post • Aug. 12, 2022

And I’m reminded of the time my father and I were piteously rained upon at the climax of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” underscoring just how trite that script was.

From New York Times • Jan. 17, 2020

This is the internet, which is piteously obsessed with literally any droplet of culture that previously existed anywhere ever, and...

From Golf Digest • Sep. 21, 2017

I heard my aunt call piteously from behind, but then my uncle said, “Swanle!”—Finished!—“She is already changed.”

From "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan