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
Following the tragic deaths of his parents in the D.C. crash, it was announced via X on Jan. 27 Maxim had withdrawn from the Four Continents Championships, which would've been his final figure skating event this season.
—Lawrence Yee, People.com, 2 Feb. 2025
Our prayers are with the families, friends, neighbors and all of those impacted by the tragic crash.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 2 Feb. 2025
When a tragic fall kills one's son, the accident sets both women down a twisty path of guilt, betrayal, melodrama and more death.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2025
The 22-track LP was originally slated to arrive alongside a Rose Bowl concert earlier in January, but Abel delayed the release following the tragic Los Angeles wildfires earlier this month.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 31 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for tragic 
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Lawrence Yee, People.com, 2 Feb. 2025
Our prayers are with the families, friends, neighbors and all of those impacted by the tragic crash.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 2 Feb. 2025
When a tragic fall kills one's son, the accident sets both women down a twisty path of guilt, betrayal, melodrama and more death.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2025
The 22-track LP was originally slated to arrive alongside a Rose Bowl concert earlier in January, but Abel delayed the release following the tragic Los Angeles wildfires earlier this month.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 31 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 10 Feb. 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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