Common Senses: Path ("Feeling")

Learn these words that include the word root path, from the Greek pathos, "feeling."

Here are links to the complete set of Common Senses lists:
Hearing: Phon / Aud / Son
Sight: Vid, Vis / Spec, Spect, Spic / Op, Ops, Opt
Touch: Path / Sent, Sens / Tact, Tang
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. antipathy
    a feeling of intense dislike
    There is a history of antipathy between the larger, more developed island of Antigua and the people of Barbuda. BBC (Aug 14, 2019)
    anti ("against") + pathos
  2. apathy
    an absence of emotion or enthusiasm
    You are so bored you sink into a state of apathy close to a coma. Life of Pi
    a ("without") + pathos
    Pathos also means "suffering" so apathy was originally a desirable state. Now, however, the word usually has a negative connotation, suggesting a lack of engagement, emotion, or enthusiasm.
  3. empathy
    understanding and entering into another's feelings
    He looked her in the eyes and saw no empathy there, no glint of humanity, and braced himself for a struggle. Strange the Dreamer
    en ("in") + pathos
    Empathy and sympathy (see below) are slightly different, as suggested by their etymologies. An empathetic person can understand and enter into another's feelings as though experiencing the emotions first-hand.
  4. sympathy
    sharing the feelings of others, especially sorrow or anguish
    You envy his disciples, even as you may also feel a twinge of sympathy when their sincere best efforts fall short. New York Times (Jan 30, 2014)
    syn ("with") + pathos
    Sympathy typically involves feeling sorrowful due to someone else's misfortune, or to sharing an opinion with a large group of people.
  5. telepathy
    extrasensory communication from one mind to another
    Carrel was a mystic who believed in telepathy and clairvoyance, and thought it was possible for humans to live several centuries through the use of suspended animation. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
    tele ("distant") + pathos
  6. pathetic
    deserving or inciting pity
    She was huddled in the mud like a pathetic animal, chewing slowly, tears streaming down her face. Half of a Yellow Sun
  7. pathogen
    any disease-producing agent
    Most pathogens, such as influenza, need to invade you with an army of thousands to cause symptoms. Slate (Jan 30, 2014)
    pathos + gen (suffix meaning "things that produce or cause")
  8. pathological
    caused by or evidencing a mentally disturbed condition
    We walk a thinning line between diagnosing illness and teaching our youth to view any emotional upset as pathological. New York Times (Apr 17, 2014)
  9. psychopath
    a person with an antisocial personality disorder
    One of the first traits of a psychopath is narcissism. Allegedly
    psyche ("mind") + pathos
  10. sociopath
    a person with an antisocial personality disorder
    Like children, sociopaths tend to put their own desires and well-being above those of others and often act on impulse without considering the repercussions. Scientific American (Aug 2, 2013)
    socio ("social") + pathos
  11. homeopathy
    a method of treating disease with small amounts of remedies that, in large amounts in healthy people, produce symptoms similar to those being treated
    Naturopathy typically involves a variety of treatment techniques including nutrition, behavioral changes, herbal medicine, homeopathy and acupuncture. Washington Post (Apr 28, 2014)
    homeo ("of the same kind") + pathos
    Homeopathy is a form of alternative medicine that relies on the principle "like cures like." A homeopath treats patients with extremely diluted forms of substances that cause the same symptoms from which the patient suffers. There is no scientific evidence for the efficacy of homeopathy.
  12. allopathy
    the usual method of treating disease with remedies that produce effects differing from those produced by the disease itself
    The term "allopathy" describes how the effects of medical interventions are "other," or "allo-," to the effects of the disease, "-pathy." US News (May 3, 2016)
    allos ("other") + pathos
    Allopathy is a homeopath's term for widely practiced Western medicine that relies on medications and surgeries to treat diseases.
  13. hydropathy
    the internal and external use of water in the treatment of disease
    Perhaps hydropathy’s most visible legacy is in the popularly held belief in drinking eight glasses of water a day. Slate (Feb 9, 2014)
    hydro ("water") + pathos
    Nowadays, hydropathy is no longer widely practiced because scientists have identified many diseases, such as cholera and hepatitis A, that are easily transmitted through water. Additionally, the belief in the healthful benefits of drinking eight glasses of water a day has been challenged, especially since many foods contain water.
  14. neuropathy
    any pathology of the peripheral nerves
    People with diabetes often lose feeling in their feet as a result of nerve damage, known as neuropathy. Reuters (Apr 14, 2014)
    neuro ("relating to the nervous system") + pathos
  15. osteopathy
    therapy based on the assumption that restoring health is best accomplished by manipulating the skeleton and muscles
    As founder of Western University, it was Pumerantz’s mission to achieve a peaceful working relationship between osteopathy and traditional medicine. Los Angeles Times (Jan 12, 2018)
    osteo ("bone") + pathos
    Osteopathy is another type of alternative medicine.
Created on Tue May 27 21:35:38 EDT 2014 (updated Tue Aug 20 14:44:18 EDT 2019)

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