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

—H. 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

• 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 was a senseless and tragic loss. —Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025

The message, originally written in Spanish and translated by VIBE, confirmed Warner’s tragic passing. —Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 16 Sep. 2025

The backstory for the maze follows the mournful tale of Mary Worth after the tragic death of her family. —Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 16 Sep. 2025

The country stands at a political crossroads, and nothing brings that into sharper focus than the recent, tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University. —Matthew Mayhew, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025

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