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
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
The freaky period piece and tragic family drama features Anja Taylor-Joy as a troubled 17th-century teen on the cusp of adulthood who goes down a dark path and Black Phillip as the G.O.A.T. of hellish goats.
23.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 14 June 2025
Defense attorney Brian Stevens said Ullrich was the victim of a tragic upbringing and addiction, while Assistant State’s Attorney Ashley Romito and Special Prosecutor William Bruce had castigated the parents for leaving their son to die.
—Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2025
In Variety's new profile of the Hollywood Forever Cemetery — the legendary resting place for many industry titans in Los Angeles — co-owner Tyler Cassity revealed that Yelchin's parents, Irina and Viktor, visit the actor's grave nearly every day, nine years after his tragic death at 27.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 14 June 2025
This is not just the story of that tragic moment and that heinous crime.
—Samantha Balaban, NPR, 14 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for tragic
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 14 June 2025
Defense attorney Brian Stevens said Ullrich was the victim of a tragic upbringing and addiction, while Assistant State’s Attorney Ashley Romito and Special Prosecutor William Bruce had castigated the parents for leaving their son to die.
—Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2025
In Variety's new profile of the Hollywood Forever Cemetery — the legendary resting place for many industry titans in Los Angeles — co-owner Tyler Cassity revealed that Yelchin's parents, Irina and Viktor, visit the actor's grave nearly every day, nine years after his tragic death at 27.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 14 June 2025
This is not just the story of that tragic moment and that heinous crime.
—Samantha Balaban, NPR, 14 June 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 18 Jun. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share