Feeling or showing sympathy and sadness for someone else's suffering or difficult situation.
From Old French 'pitié' and Latin 'pietas' (duty, respect, compassion). The '-ing' suffix converts the verb 'pity' into its present participle form, showing an ongoing action.
Interestingly, psychologists distinguish between pity (which can feel condescending) and compassion (which feels more equal)—so a pitying look might actually hurt someone's feelings more than it helps!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.