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path
(PATH)feeling, suffering
Greek pathos meant feeling or suffering. Sympathy is shared feeling; apathy is no feeling at all; empathy puts you inside another's feeling.
rootGreek
Mind & thoughtSpellings:pathpathopathy
The story behind this root
Pathos was the Greek word for what stirs you — feeling, suffering, deep emotion. A sympathetic person feels alongside you; an empathetic one steps inside your feeling. Apathy turns the dial all the way down: no feeling at all.
Example words
sympathy
feeling sorry for another's pain, from outside
empathy
feeling another person's feelings as if from inside
apathy
a lack of feeling or interest
pathetic
stirring strong feelings of pity
telepathy
communicating feelings or thoughts from a distance
Common Core alignment
Grades served: 5, 6, 7
- L.5.4bUse common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., photograph, photosynthesis).
- L.6.4bUse common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., audience, auditory, audible).
- L.7.4bUse common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., belligerent, bellicose, rebel).
Related roots
Mind & thought. Roots about thinking, knowing, remembering, and the mind.
Browse all mind & thought roots →L.5.4bL.6.4bL.7.4b