PATHOS: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for PATHOS?

Need another word that means the same as “pathos”? Find 9 synonyms and 30 related words for “pathos” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Pathos” are: commiseration, pity, ruth, poignancy, tragedy, sadness, piteousness, plaintiveness, sorrowfulness

Pathos as a Noun

Definitions of "Pathos" as a noun

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “pathos” as a noun can have the following definitions:

• A quality that arouses emotions (especially pity or sorrow.
• A quality that evokes pity or sadness.
• A style that has the power to evoke feelings.
• A feeling of sympathy and sorrow for the misfortunes of others.

Synonyms of "Pathos" as a noun (9 Words)

commiseration	An expression of sympathy with another’s grief. Our commiserations to those who didn t win.
piteousness	The choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience. A piteousness of doves pecked at his window.
pity	An unfortunate development. The blind are too often objects of pity.
plaintiveness	Expressing sorrowfulness.
poignancy	A state of deeply felt distress or sorrow. The pregnancy has a special poignancy for her family.
ruth	A book of the Old Testament that tells the story of Ruth who was not an Israelite but who married an Israelite and who stayed with her mother-in-law Naomi after her husband died.
sadness	The quality of excessive mournfulness and uncheerfulness. She tired of his perpetual sadness.
sorrowfulness	Something that causes great unhappiness.
tragedy	The dramatic genre represented by tragedies. A tragedy that killed 95 people.

Usage Examples of "Pathos" as a noun

• The film captured all the pathos of their situation.
• The actor injects his customary humour and pathos into the role.

Associations of "Pathos" (30 Words)

compassion	A deep awareness of and sympathy for another’s suffering. The victims should be treated with compassion.
compassionate	Showing or having compassion. She tried to sound compassionate.
deplore	Express strong disapproval of. We deplore all violence.
disastrous	(of events) having extremely unfortunate or dire consequences; bringing ruin. A disastrous fire swept through the museum.
emotion	A strong feeling deriving from one’s circumstances, mood, or relationships with others. Responses have to be based on historical insight not simply on emotion.
emotional	Of more than usual emotion. An emotional speech.
empathy	The ability to understand and share the feelings of another.
hangdog	Showing a sense of guilt. The hangdog and shamefaced air of the retreating enemy.
hapless	Deserving or inciting pity- Galsworthy. A hapless victim.
lamentable	(of an event, action, or attitude) unfortunate; regrettable. The lamentable friends trailing their long black garments.
maudlin	(of a book, film, or song) highly sentimental. Maudlin expressions of sympathy.
mawkish	Effusively or insincerely emotional. The mawkish smell of warm beer.
melodrama	Behaviour or events that resemble melodrama. What little is known of his early life is cloaked in melodrama.
pathetic	Miserably inadequate; of very low standard. It was a pathetic sight.
piteous	Deserving or inciting pity- Galsworthy. A piteous cry.
pitiable	Contemptibly poor or small. A pitiable imitation of the real thing.
pitiful	Inspiring mixed contempt and pity. Pitiful exhibition of cowardice.
pity	A cause for regret or disappointment. What a pity we can t be friends.
poignancy	A state of deeply felt distress or sorrow. A moment of extraordinary poignancy.
regretful	Feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone. He sounded regretful but pointed out that he had committed himself.
regrettable	(of conduct or an event) giving rise to regret; undesirable; unwelcome. The loss of this number of jobs is regrettable.
romantic	Relating to or denoting the artistic and literary movement of romanticism. Romantic fiction.
ruth	The great-grandmother of king David whose story is told in the Book of Ruth in the Old Testament.
sadness	Emotions experienced when not in a state of well-being. It is one of life s sadnesses.
sentimentality	Extravagant or affected feeling or emotion. There are passages which verge on sentimentality.
sorry	Without merit; of little or no value or use. He said he was sorry he had upset me.
sympathetic	Of characters in literature or drama evoking empathic or sympathetic feelings. A sympathetic gesture.
sympathy	A relation of affinity or harmony between people; whatever affects one correspondingly affects the other. The magnetic field oscillates in sympathy.
telepathy	Apparent communication from one mind to another without using sensory perceptions.
touching	Arousing affect. Your loyalty is very touching.