hamartia

noun

ha·mar·tia ˌhä-ˌmär-ˈtē-ə

Synonyms of hamartia next

: tragic flaw

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Hamartia comes from the Greek verb hamartanein, meaning "to miss the mark." Aristotle used the word in his Poetics to refer to the error of judgment which ultimately brings about the tragic hero's downfall. Hamartia in modern use is most at home in literary criticism, but it sees use beyond that sphere as well, as when the Boston Globe’s Christopher L. Gasper wrote in 2024, "The hardball hamartia of the Sox the last two seasons has been the rotation. No other element of the team greater embodies their lack of progress."

Examples of hamartia in a Sentence

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Kennedy’s ruthlessness and ambition—which are treated as the Kennedys’ hamartia in Chappaquiddick—are swept under the rug of his compassion. —