tragedy

trag·e·dy

noun \ˈtra-jə-dē\

plural trag·e·dies

Definition of TRAGEDY

1

a : a medieval narrative poem or tale typically describing the downfall of a great man b : a serious drama typically describing a conflict between the protagonist and a superior force (as destiny) and having a sorrowful or disastrous conclusion that elicits pity or terror c : the literary genre of tragic dramas

2

a : a disastrous event : calamity b : misfortune

3

: tragic quality or element

Examples of TRAGEDY

1. Her son's death was a terrible tragedy.
2. The situation ended in tragedy when the gunman shot and killed two students.
3. The biggest tragedy here is that the accident could have easily been prevented.
4. “Hamlet” is one of Shakespeare's best-known tragedies.
5. The students are studying Greek tragedy.
6. an actor who is drawn to tragedy

Origin of TRAGEDY

Middle English tragedie, from Middle French, from Latin tragoedia, from Greek tragōidia, from tragos goat (akin to Greek trōgein to gnaw) + aeidein to sing — more at troglodyte, ode

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to TRAGEDY

Synonyms: apocalypse, calamity, cataclysm, catastrophe, debacle (also débâcle), disaster

Antonyms: fortune, luck, serendipity

Related Words: bloodbath, collapse, crash, meltdown; Armageddon, doomsday, end-time; convulsion, paroxysm, upheaval; accident, casualty, fatality; misadventure, mischance, misfortune, mishap; blast, blow, double whammy, one-two (or one-two punch)

Near Antonyms: godsend, manna, windfall

see all synonyms and antonyms

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Other Literature Terms

apophasis, bathos, bildungsroman, bowdlerize, caesura, coda, doggerel, euphemism, poesy, prosody