Dictionary

bathos

noun ba·thos \ˈbā-ˌthäs\

: the sudden appearance of a silly idea or event in a book, movie discussion, etc., that is serious in tone

Full 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
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Origin of BATHOS

Greek, literally, depth
First Known Use: 1727

Other Literature Terms

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

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