tragic

adjective

trag·​ic ˈtra-jik 

variants or less commonly tragical

ˈtra-ji-kəl 

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

3

a

: dealing with or treated in tragedy

the tragic hero

b

: appropriate to or typical of tragedy

tragically

ˈtra-ji-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Synonyms of tragic

• unfortunate

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

There was so much physical comedy, and setting up jokes, and having to hit the rhythm, and then suddenly something totally tragic happens. —Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2026

In the case of this April 1, Atlanta just experienced a horrible and tragic Wednesday in traffic. —Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 12 Apr. 2026

Still, with the overtime loss, the Sharks’ tragic number for playoff elimination was reduced to two. —Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2026

At least 30 individuals are dead, many of them school-age children and as young as 12, after a gathering advertised on TikTok turned tragic on Saturday at Haiti’s premier mountaintop fortress. —Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2026

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

Phrases Containing tragic

• tragic flaw

Rhymes for tragic

• magic
• pelagic

Kids 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

tragically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb