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

The trio also discussed the mental turmoil among Latino youth, highlighting the recent tragic suicides of Samuel Gonzalez Terrones and Xavier Nungaray-Martinez. — Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026

The boom in vaccine-preventable outbreaks, cases, and tragic deaths is being fueled by slipping vaccination rates nationwide as health misinformation and anti-vaccine sentiments have taken hold. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 3 Nov. 2026

Jesús de Miguel, a soccer player who played for Tenerife’s football club, has died following a tragic mid-game incident. — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Nov. 2026

Joseph makes Liston into a flawed but tragic figure, ferocious in the ring but eager to find acceptance outside of it. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 3 Nov. 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