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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tragedy
In response to questions about the grenade incident and the state’s ongoing efforts to obtain records, Gomez said Cal/OSHA is trying to avoid future tragedies.
—
Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
It’s been received as the unwelcome manipulation of a tragedy by people who don’t care much about Ukraine.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 1 Apr. 2026
If public safety is the objective, intervention must precede tragedy — not follow it.
—Sean M. Cleary, Sun Sentinel, 31 Mar. 2026
How was going from the highest of highs with your biggest album to having to deal with that tragedy personally?
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tragedy
Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
It’s been received as the unwelcome manipulation of a tragedy by people who don’t care much about Ukraine.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 1 Apr. 2026
If public safety is the objective, intervention must precede tragedy — not follow it.
—Sean M. Cleary, Sun Sentinel, 31 Mar. 2026
How was going from the highest of highs with your biggest album to having to deal with that tragedy personally?
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tragedy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tragedy
Noun
-
Hefty extra wattage is apparently needed to keep the Mar-a-Lago lights on in the event of an unforeseen disaster such as a war, or flying sports court glass, or a late ketchup delivery.—
Pat Beall,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
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Only instead of the flood of a players’ strike, this time the disaster will come cloaked in the fire of an owners’ lockout.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In two of those, the Bruins had the misfortune of running into a wall — eventual champions South Carolina in 2022 and LSU in 2023.—
John Shipley,
Twin Cities,
26 Mar. 2026
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Apart from her increasing unreliability, and the fact that musicals were outré, Minnelli had the misfortune of becoming famous in an era when versatility was the rage.—
Matt Weinstock,
New Yorker,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The calamity in the Atlanta race quickly drew comparisons to other errors, where leaders have mistakenly followed lead cars exiting the race course shortly before the finish.—
Bill Chappell,
NPR,
31 Mar. 2026
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Behind every trauma and calamity, whether personal or global, whispers of Jewish machination can be heard by those already listening for them.—
Mike Rothschild,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
And while many shudder at the idea of an AI job apocalypse, others are leveraging the technology to answer complex questions.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
30 Mar. 2026
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Searches for the phrase job apocalypse are spiking.—
Annie Lowrey,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tragedy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tragedy. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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