The Clue
Ruefulness (4 letter answer)
The Answer
PITY
Tags
Notes
The answer PITY is uncommon, appearing about once every 400 puzzles.
Related Clues
Bleed for
Commiseration
Compassion
Pathos
Sympathy
Feel sorry for
Feeling for the unfortunate
Opposite of schadenfreude
Sympathetic sorrow
Terrible shame
Unfortunate circumstance
Unfortunate development
"What a shame"
"And never a saint took ___ . . . "
Wistful comment, after "a"
"___ makes suffering contagious": Nietzsche
"The scavenger of misery," per Shaw
"Town Without ___," 1961 film
"___ ever healeth envy": F. Bacon
It may be "aw"-inspiring
"For ___ runneth soon in gentle hearts": Chaucer
Definition
PITY as a noun:
1. (commiseration, pity, ruth, pathos) = a feeling of sympathy and sorrow for the misfortunes of others; "the blind are too often objects of pity"
2. (pity, shame) = an unfortunate development; "it's a pity he couldn't do it"
3. (compassion, pity) = the humane quality of understanding the suffering of others and wanting to do something about it
PITY as a verb:
1. (feel for, pity, compassionate, condole with, sympathize with) = share the suffering of