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
Now operated as a museum and haunted attraction along with preservation efforts by the Pennhurst Memorial and Preservation Alliance, the former hospital has a dark and tragic history filled with horrific patient neglect and abuse, leading to a landmark civil rights lawsuit and its closure.
—Julie Jordan, PEOPLE, 30 Dec. 2025
This consisted of emails and messages from members of the public, read in a loud, slow, tragic voice.
—Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
The tragic news of Dennis Hamlin’s death comes amid a difficult time for the NASCAR community, still mourning the heartbreaking death of driver Greg Biffle, 55, who was killed alongside his wife, Cristina, and children Ryder, 5, and Emma, 14, in a North Carolina plane crash.
—Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 30 Dec. 2025
The show explores the mysteries of the afterlife with high-tech equipment and overviews of the rich histories of some of the world's most tragic deaths.
—Ilana Gordon, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tragic
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Julie Jordan, PEOPLE, 30 Dec. 2025
This consisted of emails and messages from members of the public, read in a loud, slow, tragic voice.
—Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
The tragic news of Dennis Hamlin’s death comes amid a difficult time for the NASCAR community, still mourning the heartbreaking death of driver Greg Biffle, 55, who was killed alongside his wife, Cristina, and children Ryder, 5, and Emma, 14, in a North Carolina plane crash.
—Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 30 Dec. 2025
The show explores the mysteries of the afterlife with high-tech equipment and overviews of the rich histories of some of the world's most tragic deaths.
—Ilana Gordon, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tragic
Cite this Entry
“Tragic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tragic. Accessed 31 Dec. 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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