variants
or less commonly tragical
1
a
: regrettably serious or unpleasant : deplorable, lamentable
a tragic mistake
b
: marked by a sense of tragedy
2
: of, marked by, or expressive of tragedy
… the tragic significance of the atomic bomb.—
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman3
a
: dealing with or treated in tragedy
the tragic hero
b
: appropriate to or typical of tragedy
Examples of tragic in a Sentence
Their deaths were tragic and untimely.
They both died in a tragic car accident.
Romeo and Juliet's tragic love affair.
We saw a tragic play about a man with AIDS.
the tragic characters of her novel
Recent Examples on the Web
Brexton Busch, the 11-year-old son of NASCAR superstar Kyle Busch, did something for the first time since the sudden and tragic passing of his father.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 11 June 2026
One of the protagonists of Portugal’s Nations League triumph was Diogo Jota, who passed away alongside his brother in a tragic car accident last year.
—James Horncastle, New York Times, 10 June 2026
The decision ends a nine-week trial in which a jury decided the family of Mark and Jacob Iskander are owed nearly $200 million overall for the tragic September 2020 crash.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026
Eleanor Williams portrayed Rachel Nickell in the flashback moments and montages about her tragic murder.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for tragic
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Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 11 June 2026
One of the protagonists of Portugal’s Nations League triumph was Diogo Jota, who passed away alongside his brother in a tragic car accident last year.
—James Horncastle, New York Times, 10 June 2026
The decision ends a nine-week trial in which a jury decided the family of Mark and Jacob Iskander are owed nearly $200 million overall for the tragic September 2020 crash.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026
Eleanor Williams portrayed Rachel Nickell in the flashback moments and montages about her tragic murder.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for tragic
Cite this Entry
“Tragic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tragic. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tragic
adjective
trag·ic
ˈtraj-ik 
1
: of, marked by, or expressive of tragedy
2
: dealing with or appearing in tragedy
a tragic hero
3
: very unfortunate : deplorable
a tragic mistake
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