PATHOS Synonyms: 38 Similar and Opposite Words

pathos

noun

Definition of pathos

as in sorrow

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of pathos Now, The End of Oak Street is proving a dino blockbuster that serves up prehistoric horror with a side of genuine pathos is still a worthy endeavor. — Megan McCluskey, Time, 14 Aug. 2026 There’s pathos, and shrewd irony, underpinning his performance. — Daniel D'addario, Variety, 12 Aug. 2026 While the prerequisite Miami bachelor party antics — party buses, yacht parties, and accidentally stealing 30 kilos of cocaine from a cartel boss — all occur, the film tries to root itself in some real pathos about the nature of male friendships. — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 24 July 2026 An art film about the great midfielder Zinedine Zidane reveals the heroism and pathos of being human. — Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 11 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for pathos

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pathos

Noun

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack in separate statements and expressed sorrow over the deaths.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Sep. 2026
In direct contradiction to Herzog, Zamir’s office stated that Azaria had never expressed sorrow or remorse about the killing.

— Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of sorrow

Noun

Duarte’s writing features detailed prose and a moving storyline, encompassing grief, healing, and the losses borne by a Latinx family in the name of American patriotism.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026
State prosecutors told the court that although the attorney general understands the defendant's grief, the case must proceed as a matter of public interest.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of grief

Noun

The organization said the discoveries had deepened the anguish of families searching for loved ones.

— Mogomotsi Magome, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
Their mental anguish, out-of-pocket expenses, the time caregivers devote to their work, the wages lost from forgone work — all create spectacular costs for America’s families.

— Jason Karlawish, STAT, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of anguish

Noun

Success for the puppies and for the organization and for the people in need who ultimately get the dogs, means some heartache for them.

— Patricia Babcock McGraw OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
The music of the 1990s was a golden age of raucous, irreverent sound, and it was filled with heartache and tragedy.

— Gene Park, Washington Post, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of heartache

Noun

Penn State regularly contended for New Year’s Six bowls but lost the close, important games so often that fans braced for heartbreak.

— The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Anna, meanwhile, will try some unusual methods to get over heartbreak.

— Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of heartbreak

Noun

Feverish with feeling, the women scream, wail and sob, each one experiencing her misery multiply in real time as the remaining two look on in disdain.

— Natalia Winkelman, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026
Giannoulias hasn’t taken a dime from AIPAC — the American Israel Public Affairs Committee — in this campaign, but that didn’t stop the mayor from attempting to tie Giannoulias to the misery in the Middle East.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of misery

Noun

But faster growth clearly is key to addressing city government’s structural deficits and the fiscal woes that scare too many investors and companies away from doing business here for fear of far higher taxes in the future.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
With the advent of AI and amid corporate mergers and production woes, cinema is at a tipping point, but this assembly of panelists is optimistic.

— Isabelle Farina, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of woe

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pathologists

pathos

paths

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“Pathos.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pathos. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of pathos

noun

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