What term is used to describe writing or speech that has an insincere or overly sentimental quality intended to evoke pity?

The correct term is "bathos." This word specifically refers to a sudden and often ludicrous descent from the lofty to the commonplace, particularly in writing or speech. It describes a style that is overly sentimental or insincere, intended to provoke pity or sorrow, often leading to an unintended humorous effect. Bathos can manifest when an author tries to evoke deep emotion but instead creates something that feels exaggerated or overdone.

In contrast, "pathos" refers to the quality of experiencing or arousing emotion and sympathy in the audience, but it does not inherently imply insincerity or exaggeration. "Logos" is concerned with logical reasoning and argumentation, and "ethos" refers to the credibility or character of the speaker or writer. None of these alternatives capture the specific sense of injection of insincerity or exaggerated sentimentality that bathos embodies.