Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Wiktionary
n. An metaphor which consists in treating inanimate objects or concepts as if they were human beings, for instance having thoughts or feelings.
WordNet
n. the fallacy of attributing human feelings to inanimate objects; `the friendly sun' is an example of the pathetic fallacy
Wikipedia
The phrase pathetic fallacy is a literary term for the attributing of human emotion and conduct to all aspects within nature. It is a kind of personification that is found in poetic writing when, for example, clouds seem sullen, when leaves dance, or when rocks seem indifferent.
The British cultural critic John Ruskin coined the term in his book, Modern Painters (1843–60).
Usage examples of "pathetic fallacy".
The technique of using weather to reinforce a person's emotions is called the pathetic fallacy.
As if to show that the pathetic fallacy wasn't so pathetic after all, the sun now sailed behind a deck of clouds.
Yet I'm afraid most days are rotten here, the Dins of End-World were simply made for the pathetic fallacy, you know, and - dash it all - I can't stay.