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
Synonyms
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
After some four decades in prison, Sandra Hemme may soon have the tragic distinction of being the longest serving woman ever known to be wrongfully convicted in the United States.
—Emily Palmer, Peoplemag, 23 July 2024
Robert Wagner and Susan Flannery make the most of their short screen time as tragic early casualties.
—John H. Dorr, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 July 2024
On July 22, four-and-a-half months after his tragic passing, 16 and Pregnant star Sean Garinger’s cause of death has been revealed.
—Sara Vallone, Miami Herald, 22 July 2024
Starring himself as a police officer eulogizing his mother, then singing and dancing to the Bruce Springsteen track at her funeral, the short is centered on Cummings’ raw, tragic yet hilarious performance, all captured in one take.
—Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 22 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for tragic 
Emily Palmer, Peoplemag, 23 July 2024
Robert Wagner and Susan Flannery make the most of their short screen time as tragic early casualties.
—John H. Dorr, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 July 2024
On July 22, four-and-a-half months after his tragic passing, 16 and Pregnant star Sean Garinger’s cause of death has been revealed.
—Sara Vallone, Miami Herald, 22 July 2024
Starring himself as a police officer eulogizing his mother, then singing and dancing to the Bruce Springsteen track at her funeral, the short is centered on Cummings’ raw, tragic yet hilarious performance, all captured in one take.
—Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 22 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for tragic
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tragic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near tragic
Cite this Entry
“Tragic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tragic. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.
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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