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
Emergency responders say the toddler's death is a tragic reminder of how dangerous the water is, especially at this time of year when peak water flows are being recorded.
—Dillon Thomas, CBS News, 4 June 2026
During closing arguments on Monday, an attorney for the family of the two boys called on the jury to assess hundreds of millions of dollars in damages, rejecting the defense contention that what occurred was a tragic accident.
—City News Service, Daily News, 3 June 2026
Newlywed wife Jesni Fiji, knocked out from the tragic crash and reportedly surviving with no broken bones and just cuts and bruises, awoke Saturday morning in shock and horror over what surrounded her, including her new husband Dave Fiji's body, the groom's father told Atlanta News First (ANF).
—Eric MacK, FOXNews.com, 2 June 2026
On the soundtrack, mournful wailing music presents her as a tragic character.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for tragic
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Dillon Thomas, CBS News, 4 June 2026
During closing arguments on Monday, an attorney for the family of the two boys called on the jury to assess hundreds of millions of dollars in damages, rejecting the defense contention that what occurred was a tragic accident.
—City News Service, Daily News, 3 June 2026
Newlywed wife Jesni Fiji, knocked out from the tragic crash and reportedly surviving with no broken bones and just cuts and bruises, awoke Saturday morning in shock and horror over what surrounded her, including her new husband Dave Fiji's body, the groom's father told Atlanta News First (ANF).
—Eric MacK, FOXNews.com, 2 June 2026
On the soundtrack, mournful wailing music presents her as a tragic character.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for tragic
Cite this Entry
“Tragic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tragic. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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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