1.
to pity, to feel sorry for
To feel compassion or sympathy for someone in a difficult or unfortunate situation.
彼を哀れむ。
To pity him.
捨て猫を哀れんで家に連れて帰った。
I felt sorry for the stray cat and brought it home.
人を哀れむ気持ちは大切だが、上から目線にならないよう気をつけたい。
Compassion is important, but I want to be careful not to come across as condescending.
2.
to find something moving, to feel pathos
To be emotionally moved by the beauty or sadness of something, with a sense of poignancy.
秋の風景を哀れむ。
To find pathos in the autumn scenery.
散りゆく花を哀れむ心は日本の美意識に通じる。
The feeling of being moved by falling blossoms connects to the Japanese sense of beauty.
古い歌の歌詞に人生のはかなさを哀れむ思いが込められている。
The lyrics of the old song are imbued with a feeling of pathos for the transience of life.
USAGE:
Sense 1 (pity) is the most common modern usage. Sense 2 (feel pathos) is more literary and connected to the classical aesthetic of もののあわれ (mono no aware).
CONJUGATION:
Godan verb (五段動詞), む-ending.
- Negative: 哀れまない
- Polite: 哀れみます
- Te-form: 哀れんで
- Past: 哀れんだ
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 人を哀れむ: to feel sorry for someone
- 哀れみの目: a pitying look
- 哀れみを感じる: to feel pity