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 bomb—
H. S. Truman
H. S. Truman3
a
: dealing with or treated in tragedy
the tragic hero
b
: appropriate to or typical of tragedy
Synonyms
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
Coweta County Fire Rescue continues to be devastated by the tragic passing of Battalion Chief Bart Cauthen.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2025
At least one desperate Russian command, the 20th Combined Arms Army, has formed assault groups made up of walking wounded—including injured men walking with the aid of crutches—and sent them into battle with predictably tragic results.
—David Axe, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025
These tragic incidents disproportionately affect children, seniors, individuals with disabilities and people of color.
—Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2025
Melpomene Melpomene is the Muse of tragedy and dramatic poetry, often portrayed with a tragic mask and a club.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 20 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for tragic 
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Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2025
At least one desperate Russian command, the 20th Combined Arms Army, has formed assault groups made up of walking wounded—including injured men walking with the aid of crutches—and sent them into battle with predictably tragic results.
—David Axe, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025
These tragic incidents disproportionately affect children, seniors, individuals with disabilities and people of color.
—Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2025
Melpomene Melpomene is the Muse of tragedy and dramatic poetry, often portrayed with a tragic mask and a club.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 20 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for tragic
Dictionary Entries Near tragic
Cite this Entry
“Tragic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tragic. Accessed 24 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tragic
adjective
trag·ic
ˈtraj-ik 
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
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