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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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

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 Both inside and outside the country, many citizens believe the authorities have responded too slowly and failed to adequately address the tragedy, a criticism Rodríguez firmly rejects. — Mauricio Torres, CNN Money, 8 July 2026 Toronto Blue Jays star reliever Braydon Fisher has returned to the team after a heartbreaking family tragedy. — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026 Scott’s meteoric career has been marked by enormous success as well as tragedy and controversy. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 July 2026 Neighbors who know the Oswalds declined to comment, citing the family’s silence on the tragedy. — Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 8 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for tragedy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tragedy
  1. disaster
  2. misfortune
  3. catastrophe
  4. calamity
  5. apocalypse
Noun
  • Modern networks are more resilient in disasters, an AT&T spokesman said, because they can be restored faster and are less vulnerable to damage and copper theft.
    — Jenny Jarvie Follow, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
  • Burnham launched a government inquiry that found police failures, not the victims themselves, were responsible for the disaster.
    — Lauren Frayer, NPR, 9 July 2026
Definition of disaster
Noun
  • But aggressive mistakes can create good luck, while passive ones can spark misfortune.
    — Sean Gregory, Time, 2 July 2026
  • But by then, Russell saw his China and Canada weekends sour, had his Japan safety car timing misfortune and faced everything that went against him in Monaco.
    — Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 30 June 2026
Definition of misfortune
Noun
  • In the work of fiction, the ship is taken over to prevent catastrophe.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 5 July 2026
  • The young girls are referred to as Heaven’s 27 by their surviving families, who are determined to honor their legacy by ensuring such a catastrophe never happens again.
    — Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 4 July 2026
Definition of catastrophe
Noun
  • The operation was a testament to the growing effectiveness of a multinational collection of urban search-and-rescue squads — known as USAR — that have become ubiquitous life-savers at epicenters of calamity across the globe.
    — Mery Mogollón, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
  • There have been few comments about improvements or calamities, other than the usual notes that battery life was reduced immediately after installation, which is commonplace.
    — David Phelan, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of calamity
Noun
  • The same year, another, longer-running TV version focused on the story of survivors after an alien apocalypse that had wiped out most of the Earth's population.
    — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 4 July 2026
  • Closing the Manhattan Bridge, diverting traffic, and managing the safety of staging a zombie apocalypse downtown required the cooperation and manpower of multiple agencies with their own sets of pressing priorities and responsibilities.
    — Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 30 June 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 10 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of tragedy for Spanish Speakers

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