bathos

ba·thos

noun \ˈbā-ˌthäs\

Definition of BATHOS

1

a : the sudden appearance of the commonplace in otherwise elevated matter or style b : anticlimax

2

: exceptional commonplaceness : triteness

3

: insincere or overdone pathos : sentimentalism

Examples of BATHOS

1. The serious message of the film is ruined by the bathos of its ridiculous ending.
2. <a novel that wallows in bathos>

Origin of BATHOS

Greek, literally, depth

First Known Use: 1727

Related to BATHOS

Synonyms: sentimentality, gooeyness, lovey-doveyness, mawkishness, mush, mushiness, saccharinity, sappiness, sentimentalism, sloppiness, soppiness, syrup (also sirup)

Related Words: emotion; sentiment; corn, corniness, hokeyness (or hokiness), schmaltz (also schmalz)

Near Antonyms: cynicism, hardheadedness, hard-heartedness

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Other Literature Terms

apophasis, bildungsroman, bowdlerize, caesura, coda, doggerel, euphemism, poesy, prosody

Rhymes with BATHOS

benthos, bugloss, chaos, Chios, cosmos, Delos, demos, Ellás, emboss, en masse, Eos, epos, Eros, ethos, Hyksos, kaross, kudos, kvass, Lagos, Laos, Laplace, Lemnos, Lesbos, Logos, Madras, Melos, mythos, Naxos, Nepos, nol-pros, nonpros, pathos, peplos, Pharos, pit boss, pothos, ringtoss, Samos, Skyros, straw boss, telos, topos, tripos