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.

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

From Salon • Mar. 21, 2026

Instead it ventures into something creator Seth MacFarlane and company usually avoid, genuine 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

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

Long before President Nixon met his Waterloo over the Watergate burglary, he escaped from another tight spot with a magisterial speech, at the heart of which was a nakedly cheesy pathos appeal.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith