in a pitiful state

Many of the humans I had met were in a pitiful state, old and enfeebled long before their time.

Left at the mercy of nature and vandals, today it is in a pitiful state.

She was in a pitiful state of misuse.

After the Second World War the engines were in a pitiful state.

Large portions of the wing has already been plucked out, leaving the crane in a pitiful state.

They were really in a pitiful state.

The civilians particularly were in a pitiful state, and everything necessary for even a meagre existence had disappeared.

"The Army is in a pitiful state," Ciano quotes him as saying.

Lucie found Nicholas in a pitiful state, moaning and whimpering.

Gorgas Talmadge was in a pitiful state, now that he saw his fears being realized.

"We are in a pitiful state, sir," Fryer put in.

By now, she was in a pitiful state and Zoe felt a momentary pang of sympathy for her.

Administrative payments are in a pitiful state.

The rest lay about in a pitiful state, moaning as they nursed broken and aching limbs.

It's about that conundrum when you're really angry but in reality you're in a pitiful state.

Lateef rushes there to find Rahmat in a pitiful state, working with other women carrying heavy stones from the river.

He pointed toward Dominin Barjazid, who lay huddled in a pitiful state of shock and collapse.

His conclusion was that Syria was in a pitiful state (the 1915-1917 period had left 500,000 Syrian casualties to famine).

By the time Rodin moved in, the rocaille-style mansion, which sits in the garden completely detached, like a real chateau, was in a pitiful state.

Point a modern-day SLR at a plain white wall and it will crank its lens back and forth in a pitiful state of indecision.

Ten or twelve thousand soldiers in a pitiful state, storming our wretched trucks, rummaging through them again and again in search of some food or medicine.

The remnants of military apparel they were wearing were not only conspicuous and quite inadequate for the climate, but in a pitiful state after their journey through the forest.

Germein was alerted to the fact two days later when two of its sailors, John Leach and Robert Knapman, arrived at the lighthouse in a pitiful state.

Iofur's armor was in a pitiful state by this time, the plates torn and distorted, the gold inlay torn out or smeared thickly with blood, and his helmet gone altogether.

The Tuscany Gian Gastone inherited was in a pitiful state: the army numbered less than 3,000, the royal coffer was empty and Florence was full of beggars.