Noun

The quality or property of anything which touches the feelings or excites emotions and passions, especially that which awakens tender emotions, such as pity, sorrow, and the like; contagious warmth of feeling, action, or expression; pathetic quality.

* 1874 , Thomas Hardy, Far From The Madding Crowd, 1874:

His voice had a genuine pathos now, and his large brown hands perceptibly trembled.

(rhetoric) A writer or speaker's attempt to persuade an audience through appeals involving the use of strong emotions such as pity.

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

(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.

Noun

The act of expressing or feeling sorrow or regret; lamentation.

Feeling or expressing sorrow over someone's death.

* 1900 , , (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz) , Chapter 23

"My greatest wish now," she added, "is to get back to Kansas, for Aunt Em will surely think something dreadful has happened to me, and that will make her put on mourning ; and unless the crops are better this year than they were last, I am sure Uncle Henry cannot afford it."

*{{quote-book, year=1959, author=(Georgette Heyer), title=(The Unknown Ajax), chapter=1

, passage=And no use for anyone to tell Charles that this was because the Family was in mourning for Mr Granville Darracott […]: Charles might only have been second footman at Darracott Place for a couple of months when that disaster occurred, but no one could gammon him into thinking that my lord cared a spangle for his heir.}}

* {{quote-news, year=2011, date=December 19, author=Kerry Brown, work=The Guardian

, title= Kim Jong-il obituary , passage=Unsurprisingly for a man who went into mourning for three years after the death in 1994 of his own father, the legendary leader Kim Il-sung, and who in the first 30 years of his political career made no public statements, even to his own people, Kim's career is riddled with claims, counter claims, speculation, and contradiction. There are few hard facts about his birth and early years.}}

The traditional clothes worn by those who mourn (in Western societies, typically coloured black).

* 1992 , Hilary Mantel, A Place of Greater Safety , Harper Perennial 2007, p. 88:

‘I'm bored. I can't go out anywhere because it's too soon and I have to wear this disgusting mourning .’

Drapes or coverings associated with mourning.

* (John Dryden) (1631-1700)

The houses to their tops with black were spread, / And ev'n the pavements were with mourning hid.