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
John Burgess was among the victims of the tragic flooding in Texas Hill Country on the Fourth of July after the Guadalupe River rose around 26 feet in approximately 45 minutes, local media outlet KWTX reported.
—Becca Longmire, People.com, 8 July 2025
What remains, then, is a growing list of tragic lessons.
—Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
As images continue to emerge, USA TODAY is asking anyone willing to share photos or video of the tragic aftermath to submit them here.
—Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 8 July 2025
Tavia Hunt, the wife of Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, revealed that one of the victims in the tragic Texas floods was a member of their family.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for tragic
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Becca Longmire, People.com, 8 July 2025
What remains, then, is a growing list of tragic lessons.
—Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
As images continue to emerge, USA TODAY is asking anyone willing to share photos or video of the tragic aftermath to submit them here.
—Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 8 July 2025
Tavia Hunt, the wife of Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, revealed that one of the victims in the tragic Texas floods was a member of their family.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 7 July 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 18 Jul. 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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