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
But creating a shared sense of national belonging—a piercing pride in being an American, in an era marked by tragic division—is a feat for the ages.
—Michael Callahan, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Oct. 2024
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, 23 Oct. 2024
As reports of the devastation trickled out, one specific detail compounded the tragic nature of the event.
—Hazlitt, 23 Oct. 2024
An 18-year-old man was shot and killed during a drive-by shooting in Detroit on Monday afternoon, while another young man was injured in the same tragic incident, according to police.
—Greg Wehner, Fox News, 22 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tragic 
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Michael Callahan, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Oct. 2024
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, 23 Oct. 2024
As reports of the devastation trickled out, one specific detail compounded the tragic nature of the event.
—Hazlitt, 23 Oct. 2024
An 18-year-old man was shot and killed during a drive-by shooting in Detroit on Monday afternoon, while another young man was injured in the same tragic incident, according to police.
—Greg Wehner, Fox News, 22 Oct. 2024
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 5 Nov. 2024.
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