Pathos, at its core, is an appeal to the emotions of the audience. It’s one of the three classical rhetorical appeals – alongside ethos (appeal to credibility) and logos (appeal to logic) – used to persuade or …

In English, pathos usually refers to the element in an experience or in an artistic work that makes us feel compassion, pity, or sympathy. The word is a member of a big family: empathy is the ability to share …

Pathos is a term most often used in rhetoric (in which it is considered one of the three modes of persuasion, alongside ethos and logos), as well as in literature, film and other narrative art.

Pathos, along with logos and ethos, is one of the three "modes of persuasion" in rhetoric (the art of effective speaking or writing). Pathos is an argument that appeals to an audience's emotions.

PATHOS meaning: 1. the power of a person, situation, piece of writing, or work of art to cause feelings of sadness…. Learn more.

Jul 25, 2022 · Pathos is used to convince an audience to commit an action or accept an opinion by appealing to their emotions. This persuasive technique is commonly used in marketing, writing, …

Oct 15, 2025 · Pathos is a literary device that uses language to evoke an emotional response, typically to connect readers with the characters in a story.

PATHOS definition: the quality or power in an actual life experience or in literature, music, speech, or other forms of expression, of evoking a feeling of pity, or of sympathetic and kindly sorrow or …

Pathos (PAY-thohs) is an element in rhetoric or artistic expression that elicits feelings of sympathy, compassion, pity, or sorrow from an audience. One way to remember the meaning of pathos is to …

Jul 30, 2025 · Pathos, or appeal to emotion, is a potent tool in writing, lectures, and advertising. It helps connect with audiences by tapping into their feelings—grief, joy, fear, or even laughter.