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
In Maui, the fund supported those who lost homes in the tragic fires in Lahaina and Kula by delivering $60 million directly to residents’ bank accounts in six months.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 8 Jan. 2025
Olivia Culpo, the wife of San Francisco 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey, has spoken out about the tragic wildfires raging throughout the Los Angeles area that have forced thousands to evacuate their homes.
—Paulina Dedaj, Fox News, 8 Jan. 2025
This joins a growing list of awards season events affected by the tragic fires across Los Angeles.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 8 Jan. 2025
Of these three films, The Substance most clearly establishes that tension as something more than just tragic.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 8 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for tragic 
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Matt Donnelly, Variety, 8 Jan. 2025
Olivia Culpo, the wife of San Francisco 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey, has spoken out about the tragic wildfires raging throughout the Los Angeles area that have forced thousands to evacuate their homes.
—Paulina Dedaj, Fox News, 8 Jan. 2025
This joins a growing list of awards season events affected by the tragic fires across Los Angeles.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 8 Jan. 2025
Of these three films, The Substance most clearly establishes that tension as something more than just tragic.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 8 Jan. 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 18 Jan. 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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