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
For more by this author, see a personal tale of years of hiking the Storm King Memorial Trail, just off Interstate 70, in Western Colorado, site of a famous firefighting tragedy.
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Alison Osius, Outside Online, 1 Nov. 2024
The film ultimately shines a light on the destructive practice of organizational hazing that has led to far too many real-life tragedies.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Nov. 2024
Life itself, with all its toil, drudgery, tragedy, and pain, is weighty enough.
—Deborah Treisman, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2024
At the groundbreaking, First Selectman Bill Gerber noted that the tragedies on Redding Road have resulted in a number of people who have become emotionally invested in making safety a priority.
—Brian Gioiele, Connecticut Post, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tragedy 
Alison Osius, Outside Online, 1 Nov. 2024
The film ultimately shines a light on the destructive practice of organizational hazing that has led to far too many real-life tragedies.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Nov. 2024
Life itself, with all its toil, drudgery, tragedy, and pain, is weighty enough.
—Deborah Treisman, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2024
At the groundbreaking, First Selectman Bill Gerber noted that the tragedies on Redding Road have resulted in a number of people who have become emotionally invested in making safety a priority.
—Brian Gioiele, Connecticut Post, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tragedy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tragedy
Noun
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The rule could prevent a disaster like the one that happened with Synapse, where thousands of consumers lost access to their funds.Jeff Kauflin, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
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Regional authorities have been heavily criticized for having issued alerts to mobile phones some two hours after the disaster had started.Hernán Muñoz and Joseph Wilson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Six months later, in October, news broke of Harvey Weinstein’s decades-long abuse of women who had the misfortune of crossing paths with him.Julie Roginsky, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2024
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For those who dare to move in or have the misfortune of already living next to BonBon Candy or Via Carota, creativity is required to keep the peace.Clio Chang, Curbed, 10 Oct. 2024
Noun
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For another end of the world that features not a bang but a whimper, try Julia Armfield’s Private Rites, which stars three sisters dealing with the death of their cruel genius father in the midst of a watery apocalypse.Mikaella Clements & Onjuli Datta, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2024
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Set one year after the zombie apocalypse has supposedly come to an end, the film will follow a desperate couple who set out to find a cure for their infected daughter.Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 1 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Despite certain calamities — like the Great Recession or the tech bubble of the early 2000s — the S&P 500 has turned into a long-term, compounding machine.Bret Kenwell, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
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Patrick Crusius worried that Texas — hot and dry and facing climate calamity — was being overrun by immigrants.Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica, 19 Oct. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Tragedy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tragedy. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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