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
Whereas Bryant’s early induction was an exception because of his tragic death, Riley had been a candidate for the Hall for years.
—Mac Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2025
Viewers looking for a sharp analysis of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, or a deeper reading of the catastrophic war in Gaza and ongoing hostage crisis, may be disappointed by the movie’s insistence on focusing entirely on one single family’s tragic predicament.
—Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Feb. 2025
The tragic incident occurred Monday when Tranyelle Harshman phoned law enforcement around 1:30 p.m. to report her daughters, ages 2-9, had been shot, according to the Big Horn County Police Department.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 13 Feb. 2025
The foundation was created to honor the tragic death of University of Virginia lacrosse player Yeardley Love, who was killed by her ex-boyfriend on May 3, 2010 just three weeks before graduating from college.
—Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 13 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for tragic 
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Mac Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2025
Viewers looking for a sharp analysis of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, or a deeper reading of the catastrophic war in Gaza and ongoing hostage crisis, may be disappointed by the movie’s insistence on focusing entirely on one single family’s tragic predicament.
—Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Feb. 2025
The tragic incident occurred Monday when Tranyelle Harshman phoned law enforcement around 1:30 p.m. to report her daughters, ages 2-9, had been shot, according to the Big Horn County Police Department.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 13 Feb. 2025
The foundation was created to honor the tragic death of University of Virginia lacrosse player Yeardley Love, who was killed by her ex-boyfriend on May 3, 2010 just three weeks before graduating from college.
—Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 13 Feb. 2025
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 20 Feb. 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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