pathos

[ pey-thos, -thohs, -thaws ]

/ ˈpeɪ θɒs, -θoʊs, -θɔs /

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noun

the quality or power in an actual life experience or in literature, music, speech, or other forms of expression, of evoking a feeling of pity, or of sympathetic and kindly sorrow or compassion.

pity.

Obsolete. suffering.

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Origin of pathos

First recorded in 1570–80; from Greek páthos “suffering, sensation, experience,” akin to páschein “to suffer, feel, be affected”; cf. pathetic

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH pathos

bathos, pathos

Words nearby pathos

pathologize, pathology, pathomimesis, pathomorphism, pathophysiology, pathos, pathosis, pathway, -pathy, Patiala, patience

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use pathos in a sentence

Hall is another highlight, endowing an underwritten woman-scorned character with some real pathos.
Nine Perfect Strangers Is a Master Class From Some of Hollywood’s Finest Actors— But Not Much More|Judy Berman|August 17, 2021|Time
They all moved from plot point to plot point and from pathos to comedy with few punches or punchlines landing.
Atypical Fell Short as Both Autistic Representation and Entertainment. At Least It Was Eclipsed During Its Own Time|Sarah Kurchak|July 16, 2021|Time
In the celebrated mad scene concluding the first act, for example, once she is stricken she is totally enveloped by the pathos of her situation.
Carla Fracci, a reigning star of 20th-century ballet, dies at 84|Emily Langer|May 30, 2021|Washington Post
The shock value is high, but so is the level of pathos imbued in Krauze’s text.
36 New Books You Need to Read This Summer|Cady Lang|May 25, 2021|Time

Everywhere DakhaBrakha has played, fans have rhapsodized about the joy and pathos in their music.
What Makes Music Universal - Issue 99: Universality|Kevin Berger|April 29, 2021|Nautilus
Dickens was a master of heart-wrenching pathos because he felt every pain as he wrote.
How Dickens and Scrooge Saved Christmas|Clive Irving|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This movie and the novel are a beautiful blend of pathos and comedy.
Sherman Alexie on His New Film, the Redskins, and Why It's OK to Laugh at His Work|William O’Connor|August 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Braff is striving to convey a poignant blend of pathos and humor here, but his sort of striving is a form of cheating.
Zach Braff’s Irritating Sense of Entitlement|Andrew Romano|July 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And the first two episodes were directed by Peter Berg of Friday Night Lights, who is a master of small-town pathos.
‘The Leftovers’ Review: A Fever Dream You Can’t Wake Up From|Andrew Romano|June 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Once edgily shocking, the show now feels rich with pathos and poignancy.
Who Will Win the Tony Awards?|Janice Kaplan|June 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There are others who disclose a special susceptibility to the more simple effects of pathos.
Children's Ways|James Sully
He is a funny figure, you say; but, by your leave, it seems to me that he is only a figure of a very great pathos.
The Portsmouth Road and Its Tributaries|Charles G. Harper
Thomas Westfield died; a learned English divine, whose eloquence and pathos procured him the appellation of the weeping prophet.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
Few poets have united as he has, delicate pathos and comic force, pure rêverie and the sense of the grotesque.
Friend Mac Donald|Max O'Rell
There was a touching pathos in Jakey's voice as he sang, and it was intensified when he asked, "Doan' you 'member me, honey?"
The Cromptons|Mary J. Holmes

British Dictionary definitions for pathos

pathos

/ (ˈpeɪθɒs) /

noun

the quality or power, esp in literature or speech, of arousing feelings of pity, sorrow, etc

a feeling of sympathy or pitya stab of pathos

Word Origin for pathos

C17: from Greek: suffering; related to penthos sorrow

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

pathos

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Origin of pathos

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH pathos

Words nearby pathos

Words related to pathos

How to use pathos in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pathos

Word Origin for pathos