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.—
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman3
a
: dealing with or treated in tragedy
the tragic hero
b
: appropriate to or typical of tragedy
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
Titled ‘Forever 20′, it has been placed on 97 Avenue, close to the stadium’s Main Stand, on the eve of the first anniversary of their tragic passing in a car crash in Spain last July.
—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
2 July 2026
The ordinance was enacted following the tragic death of a child who was attacked by dogs running at large.
—
Mark Price
july 1,
Charlotte Observer,
1 July 2026
And when Nicky cuts his hand off, there’s differences between how Gabriella reacts to it and Armand, who understands that this is quite tragic.
—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
1 July 2026
But there's a tragic reality tied to that fact, as Mackenzie's mom, Brittany Bucknor, is all too aware.
—
Jonaki Mehta,
NPR,
1 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for tragic
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James Pearce,
New York Times,
2 July 2026
The ordinance was enacted following the tragic death of a child who was attacked by dogs running at large.
—
Mark Price
july 1,
Charlotte Observer,
1 July 2026
And when Nicky cuts his hand off, there’s differences between how Gabriella reacts to it and Armand, who understands that this is quite tragic.
—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
1 July 2026
But there's a tragic reality tied to that fact, as Mackenzie's mom, Brittany Bucknor, is all too aware.
—
Jonaki Mehta,
NPR,
1 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for tragic
Cite this Entry
“Tragic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tragic. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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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