/bay"thos, -thaws, -thohs/ , n.
1. a ludicrous descent from the exalted or lofty to the commonplace; anticlimax.
2. insincere pathos; sentimentality; mawkishness.
3. triteness or triviality in style.
[ 1630-40; ]
Syn. 2. maudlinness, tearfulness; mush, gush, schmaltz. 3. insipidity, inanity.