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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 novel acquires pathos as a pendant to “Lives of the Saints.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

Braff: I think that it’s Bill’s unique mix of comedy and pathos and emotion and fantasy.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 20, 2026

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

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

Richard Nixon’s “Checkers” speech, mentioned above in the section about pathos, contains a nicely clean instance of division.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith




Vocabulary lists containing pathos


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