Pity means feeling for others, particularly feelings of sadness or sorrow. In a positive sense it means "sympathy" and "empathy". More commonly Pity is a negative judgement of others and their situation. An example of pity is how most people feel about the homeless. Pity and compassion are closely related words but have subtle differences. The difference is that compassion usually involves some commitment to help. Pity does not usually require any personal involvement. Sometimes pity can also have feelings of contempt and dislike that go with it. In a positive sense, and especially as practiced in many religions, it can involve feelings the person does not deserve what has happened to him or her. In this case the person feeling pity feels sorry it happened.