pathos

noun

pa·thos | \ ˈpā-ˌthäs

, -ˌthȯs, -ˌthōs also ˈpa-

Definition of pathos

1 : an element in experience or in artistic representation evoking pity or compassion

2 : an emotion of sympathetic pity

Pathos Entered English in the 1500s Example Sentences Learn More about pathos

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Pathos Entered English in the 1500s

The Greek word pathos means "suffering," "experience," or "emotion." It was borrowed into English in the 16th century, and for English speakers, the term usually refers to the emotions produced by tragedy or a depiction of tragedy. "Pathos" has quite a few kin in English. A "pathetic" sight moves us to pity. "Empathy" is the ability to feel the emotions of another. Though "pathology" is not literally "the study of suffering," it is "the study of diseases." You can probably guess at more relatives of "pathos." "Sympathy," "apathetic," "antipathy," "sociopath," and "psychopath" are a few.

Examples of pathos in a Sentence

There is a pathos to the deflated certainties that left the Washington lawyer Leonard Garment weeping, inconsolable, outside the Senate chamber as the debate was ended. — Garry Wills, New York Times Book Review, 10 Sept. 1989 Many schools at the end of the Depression were poor, but the threadbare nature of Christchurch was almost Dickensian in its pathos. — William Styron, This Quiet Dust and Other Writings, (1953) 1982 The struggle back to solvency was arduous, and the stubborn determination and reserves of strength that it called forth from him in his mid-forties made him all at once a figure of considerable pathos and heroism in my eyes, a cross of a kind between Captain Ahab and Willy Loman. — Philip Roth, Reading Myself and Others, (1961) 1975 Our knowledge of his tragic end adds an element of pathos to the story of his early success.

Recent Examples on the Web

On Twitter, @Austen offers a viral mixture of pathos—retweeted tales of students delivered from the brink of poverty to plum coding jobs—and sober charts about student debt and the pace of innovation. — Gregory Barber, WIRED, "Lambda School's For-Profit Plan to Solve Student Debt," 26 Aug. 2019 The movie is very hard on its protagonist, and not all the obstacles, humiliations and setbacks escape the realm of cheap pathos. — Michael Phillips, chicagotribune.com, "‘Brittany Runs a Marathon’ review: Jillian Bell excels as a trainwreck who gets back on the rails," 26 Aug. 2019 There is pathos to the civic unrest, to the images of a million umbrellas in the rain. — Matthew Continetti, National Review, "Help Hong Kong by Defending Taiwan," 24 Aug. 2019 Nerve was the most conventional piece of theater on the festival's opening weekend and also the funniest, though Gay Show didn't lack its own brand of humor and pathos. — Manuel Mendoza, Dallas News, "Dallas theater festival deals with mental illness and other issues facing us in these anxious times," 18 July 2019 The mockery of him that went a step too far unveiled a strain of pathos that caused masks and illusions to drop away. — Edward Rothstein, WSJ, "‘Twelfth Night’ Review: A Bland Transposition," 11 July 2019 When pianist Lawrence Fields and bassist Kris Funn join drummer Joe Dyson and percussionist Weedie Braimah, that fog also gains instant pathos. — Michael J. West, Washington Post, "Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah continues pushing jazz in new directions," 15 July 2019 Out of this pathos and before his horrible exit, the monumentally talented and crucial producer, songwriter and recording engineer, wrote one of the dearest and most heartfelt instrumentals in rock history. — Nick Williams, Billboard, "Listen to Xiu Xiu's Summer of Pride Playlist for the 'Introverted & Unsocial'," 24 June 2019 Yet, when Deputy Mindy (Chloë Sevigny) panics upon seeing her dead grandmother zombified, Jarmusch even dead-pans her pathos. — Armond White, National Review, "The Dead Don’t Die: Climate-Change Comedy for the Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez Era," 14 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pathos.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for pathos

borrowed from Greek páthos "experience, misfortune, emotion, condition," noun derivative of a verbal base path- "experience, undergo, suffer" (present páschō, páschein), going back to *p^(h)nt^h-, zero ablaut grade of a base seen also in pénthos "grief, sorrow," of uncertain origin

Note: The Greek verb has been compared with Lithuanian kentù, kę͂sti "to undergo, suffer" (assuming that t for d is secondary) and Old Irish césaid "(s/he) suffers, endures" (< *k^wendh-s-?), though this would require Indo-European *k^wendh-, with a normally unacceptable combination of voiceless stop and voiced aspirated stop in a single root. Alternatively, Greek path-, penth- has been explained as an idiosyncratic semantic development of Indo-European *bhendh- "bind" ("be bound" > "suffer"?) (see bind entry 1).

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More Definitions for pathos

pathos

noun

English Language Learners Definition of pathos

literary : a quality that causes people to feel sympathy and sadness

See the full definition for pathos in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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pathos

Definition of pathos

Pathos Entered English in the 1500s

Examples of pathos in a Sentence

First Known Use of pathos

History and Etymology for pathos

English Language Learners Definition of pathos

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