pathos
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As a reader might gather, “Neighbors” falls into the category of what is unkindly categorized as freak-show documentary—the characters are objects of morbid curiosity or, maybe, pathos.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026
Gertrude never quite comes into focus, but the pathos of Ophelia, maddened by grief, is enhanced by the simple yet forceful way Izzard helplessly pounds her chest.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 25, 2026
That gossip set the tone for the story of Hollywood: adventure, pathos, arrogance, comedy and a dramatic twist ending.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 15, 2026
But to her credit, Ms. Coon never turns the character into a wild-eyed hysteric or a manipulated figure of pure pathos.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026
As I argued fleetingly in my discussion of pathos, the joke can do more than just perk up a drowsing audience.
From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith
Vocabulary lists containing pathos
Argumentative Writing
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AP English Lit exam terms
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The AP English Exam: Rhetorical and Literary Terms 1
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