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
The evidence that has been leaked detailing Sorsby’s gambling addiction is tragic.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 May 2026
Even as the film transforms into a murky crime saga defined by its striking, gloomy environment, it is buoyed by the dramatic radiance of this tragic contradiction, born of decades (and centuries) of the Kinnar’s survival mechanism.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 20 May 2026
The tune launched on the busy ranking in the summer of 2009 following Jackson's unexpected and tragic passing.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
Israel’s traditional response to the events of 1948—that the displacement of Palestinians was a tragic consequence of a war Arab states started, and that it was paralleled by the expulsion of roughly 850,000 Jews from Arab countries—is true, but inadequate.
—Michael W. Sonnenfeldt, The Atlantic, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for tragic
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Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 May 2026
Even as the film transforms into a murky crime saga defined by its striking, gloomy environment, it is buoyed by the dramatic radiance of this tragic contradiction, born of decades (and centuries) of the Kinnar’s survival mechanism.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 20 May 2026
The tune launched on the busy ranking in the summer of 2009 following Jackson's unexpected and tragic passing.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
Israel’s traditional response to the events of 1948—that the displacement of Palestinians was a tragic consequence of a war Arab states started, and that it was paralleled by the expulsion of roughly 850,000 Jews from Arab countries—is true, but inadequate.
—Michael W. Sonnenfeldt, The Atlantic, 20 May 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 27 May. 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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