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More's the pity

Idiomatic Phrase
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

An interjection expressing regret, disappointment, or sorrowful acknowledgment that a situation is unfortunately true; it adds a mournful aside, often tinged with irony, to a statement, emphasizing that the outcome is lamentable though unchangeable.

Detailed Definition
"More's the pity" functions as a laconic, regretful interjection that acknowledges a regrettable fact or situation with a tone of resigned sorrow, often appended to a statement to underscore its unfortunate nature, making it a staple of elegiac and melancholic verse. Its archaic contraction ("more's" for "more is") lends a formal, almost Shakespearean quality, suitable for poems that adopt a dignified, lamenting voice. Poets deploy this phrase to inject a moment of personal, emotional reflection into a narrative or description, as when a character observes a loss and adds "more's the pity" to humanize the account. Its brevity makes it an effective close for a couplet or a refrain, where its simple, direct sorrow resonates without elaboration. The phrase's ambiguity—pity for whom or for what—allows it to function as a universal sigh, inviting reader empathy. In satirical contexts, it can be used with ironic detachment, highlighting the speaker's hollow regret. Its sonic simplicity (open vowels and soft consonants) creates a wistful, sighing effect that aligns perfectly with its meaning.
Example
Example in poetry:
"The poet's profound meditation on mortality ended with a resigned sigh: 'More's the pity that we cannot hold the moment.'"; "The manuscript was lost in the fire; more's the pity, for it contained the poet's most intimate verses."; "More's the pity, the professor lamented, that students often neglect the musicality of the line in favor of its literal meaning."; "The critics praised his technique but missed the emotional core; more's the pity, for the poem was a heartfelt confession."; "More's the pity that the poet died young, for we can only imagine what further depths she might have plumbed."
Additional Notes
"More's the pity" functions as a compact, elegiac interjection in poetry, adding a layer of resigned sorrow to a statement of unfortunate fact. Unlike "cold comfort," which critiques the insufficiency of consolation offered by others, "more's the pity" is a self-contained sigh of regret from the speaker or narrator. Usage tip: Place this phrase at the end of a stanza or couplet to punctuate a lament with a wistful, almost theatrical sigh, often after a line about loss, injustice, or missed opportunity. For learners, practice inserting this idiom into a sonnet's closing couplet to transform a neutral observation into a personal, mournful reflection. Cross-reference with "alas" for a more archaic, or "unfortunately" for a more prosaic, equivalent.
Also Known As
unfortunately regrettably sad to say alas it's a pity so much the worse
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