1
as in disaster
a sudden violent event that brings about great loss or destruction
the earthquake and the ensuing damage was the worst tragedy to ever befall the city
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2
as in misfortune
bad luck or an example of this
it's the tragedy of many great artists not to be recognized for their genius until after they're dead
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Recent Examples of tragedy
That tragedy claimed the lives of all 29 crew members.
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Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 25 Nov. 2024
That's the tragedy at the heart of this incredible story about all the ways we (dis)connect.
—The Week Uk, theweek, 22 Nov. 2024
If the personal tragedy is not enough to motivate action, the ongoing financial burden to society should.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 22 Nov. 2024
That tragedy impacts the family deeply, especially her brother Joe, who last saw her.
—Lizz Schumer, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tragedy 
Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 25 Nov. 2024
That's the tragedy at the heart of this incredible story about all the ways we (dis)connect.
—The Week Uk, theweek, 22 Nov. 2024
If the personal tragedy is not enough to motivate action, the ongoing financial burden to society should.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 22 Nov. 2024
That tragedy impacts the family deeply, especially her brother Joe, who last saw her.
—Lizz Schumer, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tragedy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tragedy
Noun
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Going to space after the Columbia disaster Eileen Collins’ fourth and final mission came on the heels of the tragic Columbia disaster.Dr. Ruth Gotian, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024
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As the film reminds us, any number of iffy career choices, like that role in the cinematic disaster that was Sgt.David Browne, Rolling Stone, 22 Nov. 2024
Noun
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In popular belief, Zhong Kui is a powerful guard against evil spirits, particularly on New Year’s Day and at the Double Fifth’s Festival, on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, when his image is hung in households to prevent occupants from being met with diseases or other misfortunes.Chadd Scott, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024
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Five years after being crowned Queen of the North, Sophie Turner is back on TV playing another desperate woman pushed to her limits by men and misfortune.Andy Swift, TVLine, 2 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Poe’s great, terrifying symbol, an emblem of lost wandering, absent compassion, and frightful omens, evoked Noah and the Ark and real-life apocalypse.Armond White, National Review, 20 Nov. 2024
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What is the worst animal to run into during a zombie apocalypse?Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 14 Oct. 2024
Noun
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As a new video came to light Monday showing the chaos and calamity of a ferry gangway collapse on a historic Georgia island that left seven senior citizens dead and three critically injured, survivors shared harrowing details of the disaster.Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2024
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But Smith, who is the vice president and treasurer of the Wrightwood Fire Safe Council, saw potential for calamity, as winds were forecast to pick up.Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Tragedy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tragedy. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
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