tragic

adjective

trag·​ic ˈtra-jik How to pronounce tragic (audio)
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 bombH. S. Truman
3
a
: dealing with or treated in tragedy
the tragic hero
b
: appropriate to or typical of tragedy
tragically adverb

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
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.
Camacho’s career included victories over Roberto Durán and Sugar Ray Leonard, but his life outside the ring was marked by struggles with addiction and legal troubles before his tragic death in 2012. Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2025 This was the unfortunate and tragic outcome. Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 9 Sep. 2025 His trial is currently scheduled to begin on February 9, 2026, ensuring that Shakur’s tragic murder—and the cloud of speculation surrounding it—remains at the center of hip-hop’s most haunting, unsolved case. Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 9 Sep. 2025 The story continues after the tragic death of Arconia's doorman Lester, with the NYC apartment building now attracting secret billionaires, old-school mobsters and mysterious residents. Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tragic

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin tragicus, from Greek tragikos, irregular from tragōidia tragedy

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of tragic was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tragic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tragic. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

tragic

adjective
trag·​ic ˈtraj-ik How to pronounce tragic (audio)
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
tragically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on tragic

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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