Describes a person's appearance, expression, or atmosphere as looking sad, sorrowful, or wistful. Often used in literary or descriptive contexts.
She was looking out the window with a sorrowful expression.
捨てられた子犬の哀れ気な鳴き声が聞こえた。
I heard the piteous cry of an abandoned puppy.
Compound of 哀れ (aware, 'pity' or 'sorrow') and 気 (ke, 'air' or 'feeling'), literally 'air of sadness'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word follows a common pattern for forming adjectival nouns describing appearance or atmosphere.