noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'
A feeling of sympathy and sorrow for someone's suffering, often with a nuance of mercy or tenderness. Can be used as a noun or with の to modify another noun.
He looked at me with pity in his eyes.
Showing pity can sometimes not be in the other person's best interest.
哀れみ is a stronger, more emotional pity that can carry a nuance of looking down on the person, whereas 同情 is more neutral and usable in formal contexts.
哀れみ focuses on pity for someone weak or suffering, whereas 慈悲 expresses a broader, principled compassion, often religious in tone.
Standard kanji spelling; the most common written form.
Alternate kanji spelling; also encountered but less common than 哀れみ.
Rarely used kanji form; not recommended for learners.
Rarely used kanji form; not recommended for learners.
Derived from the adjective 哀れ (あわれ, 'pitiful, touching') with the nominalizing suffix み, which turns adjectives into nouns expressing a quality or state.