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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 While the cause of the tragedy remains unknown, air traffic radio captured the pilot’s voice as the plane plunged straight toward the ground. — Holly Yan, CNN Money, 2 Nov. 2026 The juxtaposition of Prikryl’s family with Cordelia’s reveals the overlap of tragedy, fairy tale, and soap opera. — Langdon Hammer, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026 Commercial work, there’s a lot of AI voicing, which is really a tragedy. — Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Nov. 2026 Out of war, out of tragedy, came a generosity that has answered the prayers of so many. — Ron Farina, Hartford Courant, 1 Nov. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tragedy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tragedy
  1. disaster
  2. misfortune
  3. catastrophe
  4. calamity
  5. apocalypse
Noun
  • Spain’s second high-speed rail disaster this year, in which one train struck another from behind, killing 69 people, has raised fresh concerns about the safety of the country’s rail network ahead of a national election.
    — Joseph Wilson, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The new rail disaster can't help the prospects of his Socialist party.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of disaster
Noun
  • However, since the ornament is entered into a holiday gift exchange rather than gifted with proper intention, Tanya suddenly finds herself on the receiving end of everyone else’s misfortune.
    — Rachel LaBonte, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The lawsuits, in his eyes, are simply cases of personal misfortune and landlord greed.
    — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of misfortune
Noun
  • Since Benson and her co-authors met in Oviedo, weather catastrophes have multiplied, oceans have acidified and the amount of carbon in the atmosphere has soared.
    — Katie Worth, ProPublica, 30 Oct. 2026
  • But this latest catastrophe could clip the wings of any comeback.
    — Vasco Cotovio, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of catastrophe
Noun
  • As the guests attempt to keep up appearances, the celebrations descend into a day of calamity, hilarity and unexpected connections.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Anything that seems relatively unimportant, like who sits on what dais, becomes the calamity of the century.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of calamity
Noun
  • There are some apocalypses, the song seems to suggest, where no redemptive beauty can be found.
    — Marissa Lorusso, Pitchfork, 28 Oct. 2026
  • As critics have noted, though both Soares and Yudkowsky have spent much time fretting about an AI apocalypse, there’s no consensus that such a future is even possible — let alone probable.
    — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of apocalypse

Browse Nearby Words

tragedies
tragedy
tragic
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tragedy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tragedy. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

Ten More Words from Taylor Swift Songs

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
couple-laugh-cafe
Quiz: Foreign Phrases You Should Know Check out your bona fides and avoid any faux pas.
See All