Dictionary.com

pathos

[ pey-thos, -thohs, -thaws ]
/ ˈpeɪ θɒs, -θoʊs, -θɔs /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for pathos on Thesaurus.com
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.

COMPARE MEANINGS

Click for a side-by-side comparison of meanings. Use the word comparison feature to learn the differences between similar and commonly confused words.
QUIZ
QUIZ YOURSELF ON “ITS” VS. “IT’S”!
Apostrophes can be tricky; prove you know the difference between "it’s" and "its" in this crafty quiz!
Question 1 of 8
On the farm, the feed for chicks is significantly different from the roosters’; ______ not even comparable.
it's
its
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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, Š Random House, Inc. 2022

Words related to pathos

emotion, passion, poignancy, desolation, feeling, plaintiveness, sentiment, pitiableness, pitifulness

How to use pathos in a sentence

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 Š William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 Š HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
FEEDBACK