pathos

1. (rhetoric) A form of rhetoric in which the writer or speaker uses emotional appeals to the audience as the main form of persuasion.Examples: "It was impossible to endure the jargon and the affected pathos of the squire any longer."countablerhetoricuncountable

2. (literature) An author's attempt to evoke a feeling of pity or sympathetic sorrow for a character.countableuncountable

3. (theology, philosophy) In theology and existentialist ethics following Kierkegaard and Heidegger, a deep and abiding commitment of the heart, as in the notion of "finding your passion" as an important aspect of a fully lived, engaged life.countableuncountable