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pathos

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


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.

But the absence of warmth in the performance robs the denouement of a portion of its awful pathos.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026

Berlant describes their shared sensibility, the ability to simultaneously play comedy and pathos, as a kind of freedom.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

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

From Salon • Mar. 21, 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

It’s worth saying: an appeal to pathos is not in and of itself a “cheat.”

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith




Vocabulary lists containing pathos


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