What does "bathos" mean?
Overdone or treacly attempts to inspire pathos.
Bathos
/ˈbeɪθɒs/ noun
noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Overdone or treacly attempts to inspire pathos.
- Grammar: bathos is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: anticlimax, anti-climax, anticlimax, banality.
- Useful contrasts: apex, depth, gravity.
- Usage evidence: I like you more than I can say; but I'll not sink into a bathos of sentiment...
How to use "bathos"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "bathos" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "bathos" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "bathos" as the right word for your sentence.
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Compare nearby meanings
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- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "bathos" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "anticlimax" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "bathos", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Overdone or treacly attempts to inspire pathos. uncountable, usually
"I like you more than I can say; but I'll not sink into a bathos of sentiment..."
- 2 a change from a serious subject to a disappointing one wordnet
- 3 A risible failure on the part of a work of art to properly affect its audience, particularly owing to uncountable, usually
"While a plain and direct Road is pav'd to their ὐψος, or sublime; no Track has been yet chalk'd out to arrive at our βάθος, or profund."
- 4 triteness or triviality of style wordnet
- 5 A risible failure on the part of a work of art to properly affect its audience, particularly owing to:; An anticlimax: an abrupt transition in style or subject from high to low. uncountable, usually
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 insincere pathos wordnet
- 7 A risible failure on the part of a work of art to properly affect its audience, particularly owing to:; A banality: an unaffectingly clichéd or trite treatment of a topic. uncountable, usually
- 8 A risible failure on the part of a work of art to properly affect its audience, particularly owing to:; Immaturity: a lack of serious treatment of a topic. uncountable, usually
- 9 A risible failure on the part of a work of art to properly affect its audience, particularly owing to:; A hyperbole: excessiveness. uncountable, usually
- 10 The ironic use of such failure for satiric or humorous effect. uncountable, usually
- 11 A nadir, a low point particularly in one's career. uncommon, uncountable, usually
"How meanly has he closed his inflated career! What a sample of the bathos will his history present!"
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"I like you more than I can say; but I'll not sink into a bathos of sentiment..."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "bathos"?
Common synonyms include: anticlimax, anti-climax, anticlimax, banality, bathetic technique, bleeding heart.
How do you use "bathos" in a sentence?
I like you more than I can say; but I'll not sink into a bathos of sentiment...
How do you pronounce "bathos"?
Pronounced /ˈbeɪθɒs/.
Etymology
Borrowed from Ancient Greek βάθος (báthos, “depth”). Employed ironically following Alexander Pope's Peri Bathous, lampooning various errors in contemporary writers.