pathos Definition
pa·thos (pā′t̸häs′, -t̸hôs′)
noun
- Rare suffering
- the quality in something experienced or observed which arouses feelings of pity, sorrow, sympathy, or compassion
- the feeling aroused
Etymology: Gr pathos, suffering, disease, feeling, akin to pathein, paschein, to suffer, feel < IE base *kwenth-, to suffer, endure > OIr cessaim, I suffer
pathos Synonyms
pathos
n.
pathos names that quality, in a real situation or in a literary or artistic work, which evokes sympathy and a sense of sorrow or pity; bathos applies to a false or overdone pathos that is absurd in its effect; poignancy implies an emotional quality, as sadness or pity, that is keenly felt, often to the point of being sharply painful
pathos Usage Examples
Converse of object
- lend: The melodic ' sigh ' ( 79 ) of a falling 5th lends pathos to the piece.
- add: And as well as adding pathos to the film, Kong also manages to mash up a couple of freaking dinosaurs.
- bring: However, a performance of the role that brings that pathos out more effectively would give greater weight to the happy ending.
- have: She's written so much for the stage and screen that have so much pathos, which I find a very interesting angle.
- evoke: But he could evoke pathos, he could also be excessively sentimental.
- feel: Who can read the last phrase, the coming revolution in Europe, without feeling the most profound pathos?
Adjective modifier
- deep: On the one hand, they produce a theatrically enthralling combination of brilliant farce and deep pathos.
- real: Hulk's diary As with much of the best comedy, there are glimpses of real pathos here.
- great: And we read, the story told with great pathos, what happens next.
- genuine: Yet there is genuine pathos in the regrets and resentments of the two sisters.
- human: The medieval church was not really interested in the human pathos of the infant Jesus.
- certain: Peter, how- ever, supposed a certain pathos in Jesus ' question.
Modifies a noun
point: For extra pathos points, I should point out to my international readers that yesterday was supposed to be a statutory holiday in England.
Noun used with modifier
tender: In front of a work of such tender pathos the viewer is almost compelled to offer a hand in aid.
Preposition: of
- scene: The makers seem to be striving to recapture the pathos of the dinosaur scenes in Disney's Fantasia -- they fail.
- situation: The emotional and comedic power of that final episode is drawn primarily from the characters and the pathos of the situation.
- thing: So much beauty and pathos of old things passing away and no new things coming.
- story: By making the film as a cartoon, the directors emphasize the childish pathos of the story rather than its political context.
Preposition: with
humor: Balances pathos with humor, despite the subject matter.
Browse dictionary entries near pathos
- ‹ pathology
- ‹ pathological
- ‹ pathol
- ‹ pathognomonic
- ‹ pathogenic
- ‹ pathogenesis
- ‹ pathogen
- ‹ patho-
- ‹ pathless
- ‹ -pathic

