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—
H. S. Truman
H. 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
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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Tragic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tragic. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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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