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
Actor River Phoenix’s story has long haunted Hollywood: A rising star with rare talent and a tragic ending that came far too soon.
—William Earl, Variety, 1 Aug. 2025
The whole story turns on how this scared young girl becomes a tough, tragic redeemer through this wild, unlikely journey.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 1 Aug. 2025
Roger Goodell speaks on NFL tragedy The NFL was faced with a tragic situation earlier this week when a gunman opened fire in New York at the NFL headquarters.
—Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2025
Some historians see him as a visionary who glimpsed a future Hawaii caught between two worlds; others view him as a tragic figure undone by the violent tide of change.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 1 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tragic
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William Earl, Variety, 1 Aug. 2025
The whole story turns on how this scared young girl becomes a tough, tragic redeemer through this wild, unlikely journey.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 1 Aug. 2025
Roger Goodell speaks on NFL tragedy The NFL was faced with a tragic situation earlier this week when a gunman opened fire in New York at the NFL headquarters.
—Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2025
Some historians see him as a visionary who glimpsed a future Hawaii caught between two worlds; others view him as a tragic figure undone by the violent tide of change.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 1 Aug. 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 5 Aug. 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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