bathetic
UK[bəˈθetɪk]US[bəˈθetɪk]
adj
Describing language, art, or expression that is characterized by bathos; an unsuccessful attempt to be serious or moving, resulting in something trite, overly sentimental, or absurdly anticlimactic.
Morpheme Breakdown
bath
etic
bath
depth
etic
adjective suffix
Etymology
The word 'bathetic' is a direct derivative of 'bathos,' a term coined by the poet Alexander Pope in the 18th century from the Greek word for 'depth' (bathos). Pope used 'bathos' ironically to describe a writer's unintended "plunge" from lofty, serious rhetoric into triviality or absurdity. The adjective 'bathetic' was formed by appending the suffix '-etic' to this root, formally encoding the concept into the language. Thus, the literal "depth" of the Greek root evolved into the modern abstract meaning describing a profound failure in artistic or emotional depth, resulting in triteness or ridiculous anticlimax.
Analysis
Structure: bath (depth) + etic (adjective suffix)
- bath: From Greek bathos (βάθος), meaning "depth." In this context, it refers to the rhetorical concept of a sudden descent from the elevated to the commonplace.
- etic: An English adjective-forming suffix, derived from Greek -etikos, indicating a quality or characteristic.
Examples
The film's attempt at a grand, tragic finale was so overdone it became merely bathetic.
His bathetic speech, filled with clichés about sunsets and lost puppies, failed to move the audience.
The novel's bathetic conclusion, where the epic conflict was resolved by a simple misunderstanding, disappointed many readers.