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.—
Harry S. Truman
Harry 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
However, amid the series’ release, Murdaugh has denounced the dramatization of his family’s tragic story.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 5 Nov. 2025
But don’t let the tragic tale color your impression of the Park; during the holidays its annual Christmas at the Falls event transforms the area into one of the merriest and brightest spots around.
—Jennifer Stewart Kornegay, Southern Living, 4 Nov. 2025
That question from Gordon Lightfoot's haunting ballad about the sinking of Edmund Fitzgerald seems to also encapsulate the mystery surrounding the tragic disappearance of the freighter.
—Steven Martinez, jsonline.com, 4 Nov. 2025
After departing the Grateful Dead in 1979, the Godchauxs formed the Heart of Gold Band, which was cut short by Keith’s tragic death in a car accident the following year.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tragic
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Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 5 Nov. 2025
But don’t let the tragic tale color your impression of the Park; during the holidays its annual Christmas at the Falls event transforms the area into one of the merriest and brightest spots around.
—Jennifer Stewart Kornegay, Southern Living, 4 Nov. 2025
That question from Gordon Lightfoot's haunting ballad about the sinking of Edmund Fitzgerald seems to also encapsulate the mystery surrounding the tragic disappearance of the freighter.
—Steven Martinez, jsonline.com, 4 Nov. 2025
After departing the Grateful Dead in 1979, the Godchauxs formed the Heart of Gold Band, which was cut short by Keith’s tragic death in a car accident the following year.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 4 Nov. 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 8 Nov. 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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