tragedy

noun

ˈtra-jə-dē How to pronounce tragedy (audio)
Definition of tragedynext
1
as in disaster
a sudden violent event that brings about great loss or destruction the earthquake and the ensuing damage was the worst tragedy to ever befall the city

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in misfortune
bad luck or an example of this it's the tragedy of many great artists not to be recognized for their genius until after they're dead

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of tragedy The tragedy shook the city of Nome, a community accustomed to travel by small plane across Alaska’s vast landscapes. — Alexandra Skores, CNN, 19 Mar. 2025 How many other productions have come close to tragedy without the public ever hearing about it? — Becky Morrison, IndieWire, 18 Mar. 2025 The tragedy of people suffering and dying alone is one of the enduring and unaddressed traumas of the pandemic. — Sunita Puri, The Atlantic, 18 Mar. 2025 In the first section of the book, Franklin repeatedly brings historical analysis, primary sources and Anne Frank’s writing into juxtaposition with each other in a way that both illuminates Anne Frank as an individual and the larger tragedy of the Holocaust. — John Warner, Chicago Tribune, 8 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tragedy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tragedy
  1. disaster
  2. misfortune
  3. apocalypse
  4. calamity
Noun
  • However, almost everyone agrees that a closer examination is needed after the disaster at DCA.
    — Zach Wichter, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2025
  • The 1986 Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine shocked the world, contaminating regions across Eastern Europe and affecting millions.
    — Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
Definition of disaster
Noun
  • Both versions have the great misfortune of spending time with her father, Jame Eagan (Michael Siberry) who ratchets up the creepy factor to eleven.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
  • Tesla's Monday misfortunes come as Musk faces a slew of other hurdles, both as the head of SpaceX and Tesla and the head of DOGE.
    — Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 2025
Definition of misfortune
Noun
  • That backstory comes well before the suggestion of an imminent apocalypse that lends a dread-like quality to the trailer for a movie told in reverse chronological order.
    — Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2025
  • The horsemen of the SaaS apocalypse are productivity gains, structural changes in software and investor sentiment.
    — Ron Williams, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025
Definition of apocalypse
Noun
  • More than once, that passivity slipped into calamity.
    — Laurie Whitwell, The Athletic, 23 Feb. 2025
  • To reach him in Crooks Springs, Sara enlists the assistance of a guide named Isaac Reed, depicted by a gritty and valiant Taylor Kitsch, also from Friday Night Lights, who leads their small band in the face of calamities climatic, financial, and violent.
    — Michael M. Rosen, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 7 Feb. 2025
Definition of calamity

Browse Nearby Words

tragedy
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tragedy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tragedy. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on tragedy

Nglish: Translation of tragedy for Spanish Speakers

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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Words You Always Have to Look Up
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular Features

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
dog-in-disguise
Rhyme Disguise Quiz Pair up words that look different but sound alike.
See All