tragic

adjective

trag·​ic ˈtra-jik How to pronounce tragic (audio)
variants or less commonly tragical
1
a
: regrettably serious or unpleasant : deplorable, lamentable
a tragic mistake
b
: marked by a sense of tragedy
2
: of, marked by, or expressive of tragedy
the tragic significance of the atomic bombH. S. Truman
3
a
: dealing with or treated in tragedy
the tragic hero
b
: appropriate to or typical of tragedy
tragically adverb

Examples of tragic in a Sentence

Their deaths were tragic and untimely. They both died in a tragic car accident. Romeo and Juliet's tragic love affair. We saw a tragic play about a man with AIDS. the tragic characters of her novel
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The mother of a North Carolina woman who was fatally attacked while vacationing in Mexico is pursuing legal action two years after the tragic incident. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024 Nearly $195,000 was raised through a GoFundMe campaign started for Kaur’s family following her tragic death. Abigail Adams, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024 Advertisement The day took a tragic turn in the $5 million Turf when Jayarebe collapsed in the gallop out after the race. John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2024 The story of Nickel Boys makes sense in a stark, tragic way. Fred Topel, Deadline, 2 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for tragic 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin tragicus, from Greek tragikos, irregular from tragōidia tragedy

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of tragic was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near tragic

Cite this Entry

“Tragic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tragic. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

tragic

adjective
trag·​ic ˈtraj-ik How to pronounce tragic (audio)
1
: of, marked by, or expressive of tragedy
2
: dealing with or appearing in tragedy
a tragic hero
3
: very unfortunate : deplorable
a tragic mistake
tragically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on tragic

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!