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
Dinosaurs have been fearsome and fascinating — but tragic?
—Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2026
With its mix of Norse mythology, eighteenth-century cryptozoology, nineteenth-century science fiction, and the biblical apocalypse, the poem tells of something tragic and mysterious lying just beyond the bounds of human knowing.
—Kathryn Hughes, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
His scandalous behavior was on the Post’s front page for 20 straight days, breaking the record set by the tragic aftermath of 9/11.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2026
Another effort will be going into local schools to make sure students understand that a simple mistake can be the start of something tragic for everyone in the mountain communities.
—Spencer Wilson, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tragic
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Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2026
With its mix of Norse mythology, eighteenth-century cryptozoology, nineteenth-century science fiction, and the biblical apocalypse, the poem tells of something tragic and mysterious lying just beyond the bounds of human knowing.
—Kathryn Hughes, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
His scandalous behavior was on the Post’s front page for 20 straight days, breaking the record set by the tragic aftermath of 9/11.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2026
Another effort will be going into local schools to make sure students understand that a simple mistake can be the start of something tragic for everyone in the mountain communities.
—Spencer Wilson, CBS News, 3 Apr. 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 8 Apr. 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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