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

This season of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City starts off on an incredibly somber note, given the tragic passing of Mary Crosby’s son, Robert Jr. — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2026

That is not to excuse the recklessness behind the wheel which could feasibly have led to a more serious, potentially tragic incident on the M25 and M3 motorways. — Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026

Slowly, each of their tragic stories is revealed, giving Ojo, Aigbe and Ademoye more shades to play. — Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026

There's no way around the fact that the last year has seen a shocking loss of beloved Hollywood names in tragic deaths. — Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 15 Sep. 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