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.—
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman3
a
: dealing with or treated in tragedy
the tragic hero
b
: appropriate to or typical of tragedy
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
The Frisco Wakeland girls soccer team is channeling grief into purpose this season, honoring their teammate after her tragic death while making a powerful run at another state title.
—Johnny Resendiz, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
The 2025 title was RCB’s first, but the celebrations turned tragic when at least 11 people died in a deadly crowd crush at the team’s stadium.
—Chetan Narula, Fortune, 29 Mar. 2026
The film is a thriller, a spiritual journey and a tragic comedy, and includes flashbacks to Alighieri’s life (Isaac plays the poet as well).
—G. Allen Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle, 28 Mar. 2026
These twisters were just the opening act of a tragic Palm Sunday tornadic outbreak that affected not only the Midwest but also portions of Alabama and Georgia.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tragic
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Johnny Resendiz, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
The 2025 title was RCB’s first, but the celebrations turned tragic when at least 11 people died in a deadly crowd crush at the team’s stadium.
—Chetan Narula, Fortune, 29 Mar. 2026
The film is a thriller, a spiritual journey and a tragic comedy, and includes flashbacks to Alighieri’s life (Isaac plays the poet as well).
—G. Allen Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle, 28 Mar. 2026
These twisters were just the opening act of a tragic Palm Sunday tornadic outbreak that affected not only the Midwest but also portions of Alabama and Georgia.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tragic
Cite this Entry
“Tragic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tragic. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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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