ˈrüth noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English rewthe, routhe, ruthe, from ruen, rewen to rue — more at rue
1. : sorrow for the misery of another : pity , mercy , compassion
is there no pity, no relenting ruth — Robert Burns
pounced on the snails without ruth and trampled them — Josephine Pinckney
2. : sorrow for one's own faults : sadness , distress , remorse
I seek … not in ruth , to curse and deny your truth — Matthew Arnold
3. : a reason or cause for ruth : a pitiful sight : a sad thing
the ruth of a young man's dying in war — Bernard DeVoto
Synonyms: see sympathy