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 The pandemic-era posts from El-Sayed did not celebrate the tragedy or the terrorists who perpetrated the attacks. — Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026 His tenure was immediately marked by tragedy after a fatal aviation crash near the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, DC, that killed 67 people. — Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026 The company doesn’t appear to have a formal succession plan — something governance experts say is critical to mitigating key-person risk and ensuring shareholders don’t panic if tragedy strikes. — Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026 The movie, though, offers scarce insight about the motivations behind the tragedy. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 2 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
  • Sceye and SoftBank used an emergency alert system designed for large-scale disasters.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The scale of the disaster has proved challenging for authorities, with morgues overwhelmed by a large number of unidentified remains.
    — Andrew Jones, NBC news, 3 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
  • Fearful of another 9/11-style calamity, the Bush team exaggerated the threat posed by Hussein, triggering what would become an eight-year military quagmire.
    — Michael E. Neagle, Hartford Courant, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Budget Director Ray Baker said Miami-Dade should have about $500 million in its rainy-day fund, but the county has less than $90 million available to tap after a calamity like a hurricane.
    — Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 4 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 11 Sep. 2026.

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