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tragedy

noun

ˈtra-jə-dē How to pronounce tragedy (audio)
Definition of tragedynext
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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tragedy For everyone, the moment the tragedy struck will become a dark memory handed down for generations. — Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Sep. 2026 One thing that Davidson said frustrates him about social media is people who aren’t personally connected to the tragedy often use it as a meme. — Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 11 Sep. 2026 The real tragedy of the film occurs not in the domain of love, but of family. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2026 This group of Americans knows the tragedy through images in a history textbook or scenes in YouTube videos of the twin towers falling and first responders tending to victims. — Froylan Jimenez, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tragedy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tragedy
  1. disaster
  2. misfortune
  3. catastrophe
  4. calamity
  5. apocalypse
Noun
  • In moments, the towers’ dazzling height had transformed from the proud punctuation of this country’s signature skyline into a disaster-movie nightmare.
    — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The Bills finished the Toronto series with a 1-5 record, and the experiment was viewed as a disaster.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of disaster
Noun
  • Republicans also have the misfortune of scheduling the convention for the first two dates of the NFL regular season, which always draws massive ratings and for the first time begins on a Wednesday night, followed by a game on Thursday night.
    — Zac Anderson, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026
  • After the misfortune of Rodon’s injury, the manager conceded better luck would be needed across the rest of the group.
    — Beren Cross, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of misfortune
Noun
  • More than 1,000 people have been confirmed dead and thousands remain missing after the catastrophe, according to authorities in both countries.
    — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2026
  • As the story moves breathlessly through the neighborhood’s streets and interiors, Kodeih, who also edited the feature, and cinematographer Tony Kopec zero in on a jumpy, kinetic tension between looming catastrophe and potential triumph.
    — Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of catastrophe
Noun
  • On the present trajectory, the US and China are hurtling toward the very calamity that Kissinger warned about.
    — Andy Browne, semafor.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Their images, as much as those from stationary TV cameras or professional photographers, became our window onto the calamity.
    — David Friend, Vanity Fair, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of calamity
Noun
  • Those forecasts add hope for office workers after top AI leaders previously signaled a jobs apocalypse was imminent.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Why private credit may avoid a ‘crisis-apocalypse’ Blackstone’s scale attracts outsized scrutiny, and investors’ attempts to pull money from its private credit funds earlier this year made headline news.
    — Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of apocalypse

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tragedies
tragedy
tragic
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Cite this Entry

“Tragedy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tragedy. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

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