take pity
Feel for someone
To take pity on someone is to feel compassion for their suffering and act on it—usually by helping, sparing, or showing mercy: She took pity on the stray cat and brought it inside, The judge took pity on the defendant and reduced the sentence.
The phrase implies the person deserves sympathy, though it can carry a slight note of condescension—the one taking pity holds power over the one receiving it.
- commiserateShare in sorrow
- sympathizeShare another's feelings
- relentCease resistance or severity
- show mercyTreat with leniency
- mercyCompassion toward offenders
compassion · feel sorry for · poor soul · clemency · leniency · empathy · soft spot · spare · benevolence · pardon · magnanimity · tenderness · forgiveness · act of kindness · kindness · beggar · vulnerability · adversity
- have a heartplease, mercy, have mercy, show mercy, spare me
- pleasplea, pleas, please, prayers, entreaty
take pityturn a deaf ear
Intentionally refuse to listen
steel oneself · turn one's back on · spurn · dismiss · disregard
take, pity, taken, taking, overtake, takes, undertake, retake, taker