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.

And in the crucial scene when Sonny is put on the phone with Leon, whom he calls his wife—Sonny’s motive is to pay for Leon’s sex-reassignment surgery—he strikes moving notes of pathos.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

Even the sequences of obvious pathos are earned, over and over again.

From Salon • Mar. 21, 2026

“Hoppers” features zanier cartoon comedy and less tear-inducing pathos than audiences may expect from the studio behind “Up.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 7, 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

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