Spanish Conversation · Level 80
60 words
Spanish word
piedad
Pronunciation
IPA/pjeˈðað/
Meaning
- feminine nounpity
Example
La gente mostró piedad por las víctimas del accidente.
People showed pity for the victims of the accident.
More examples
El entrenador no tuvo piedad con el equipo rival.
The coach showed no mercy to the opposing team.
Core concept
A feeling of compassion that moves someone to show mercy.
Common phrases
tener piedad de
have pity on
pedir piedad
beg for mercy
sin piedad
without pity
Similar words
lástima: Simple sorrow for someone's bad luck, typically expressed with 'qué lástima'.
compasión: Shared, heartfelt feeling of another's suffering that encourages offering comfort or aid.
Definition in Spanish
Sentimiento de compasión o lástima hacia alguien que sufre, y acción de mostrar esa compasión.
Word origin
From Latin pietas 'dutiful devotion', through Romance languages where reverence broadened into compassion to yield Spanish piedad.
Usage tips
- In everyday speech speakers often use qué lástima or tener lástima for light sympathy, while piedad sounds stronger or more formal and appears in emphatic pleas like ¡ten piedad!
Other meanings
- mercynoun
- sympathynoun
Opposites
- crueldadcrueltynoun
- indiferenciaindifferencenoun
Related words
- piadosomercifuladjective
- piadosamentemercifullyadverb
- piadosidadmercifulnessnoun