ruthful

Adjective

ruthful (comparative more ruthful, superlative most ruthful)

1. Full of sorrow; sorrowful; woeful; rueful.

   Synonyms:

   lamentful, mournful, wistful, atrabiliary, atrabilious, blitheless, dispirited, blue, bummed out, chapfallen

2. Causing pity; piteous.
   • An if it please thee! why, assure thee, Lucius, / 'Twill vex thy soul to hear what I shall speak; / For I must talk of murders, rapes, and massacres, / Acts of black night, abominable deeds, / Complots of mischief, treason, villainies, / Ruthful to hear, yet piteously perform'd:c. 1588–1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac...
   • When last this ruthful month was come, / And in Linlithgow’s holy dome / The King, as wont, was praying; [...]1808 February 22, Walter Scott, “Canto Fourth. The Camp.”, in Marmion; a Tale of Flodden Field, Edinburgh: […] J[ames] Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Company, […]; London: William...

   Synonyms:

   pathetic, pitisome, rueful, compassionate, pathetisad, piteous, pitiable, pitiful, sad, poor

3. Full of ruth or pity; merciful; compassionate.
   • Then he bestowed robes of honour on the nurses wet and dry and said to them, "Be ye ruthful over them and rear them after the goodliest fashion."1898, Richard Francis Burton, transl., The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, volume 7

   Synonyms:

   merciable, pitiful, relentful, clement, lenient, mercied, merciful, safe

   Antonyms:

   merciless, ruthless