pathos

[ pey-thos, -thohs, -thaws ]
/ ˈpeɪ θɒs, -θoʊs, -θɔs /

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.

Origin of pathos

1570–80; < Greek páthos suffering, sensation, akin to páschein to suffer

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH pathos

bathos pathos

Example sentences from the Web for pathos

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 pity a stab of pathos

Word Origin for pathos

C17: from Greek: suffering; related to penthos sorrow