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—
H. S. Truman
H. 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
Although authorities said a criminal investigation is underway, a police spokesperson told the DPA that the force is currently considering the incident a tragic accident.
—Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 20 July 2025
The Louisiana native has been working steadily since the early ’90s, appearing in the Julia Roberts/Dennis Quaid vehicle Something To Talk About (1995), John Singleton’s tragic historical drama Rosewood (1997), and a string of high-profile TV series.
—EW.com, 20 July 2025
This summer, in particular, has been defined by a tragic surge in deadly flash floods across the United States, underscoring the escalating volatility of our warming world.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 20 July 2025
Each year, stories of people acting heroically to rescue others from the water turn tragic when the rescuers end up caught in the rip currents and drown.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 19 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for tragic
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 20 July 2025
The Louisiana native has been working steadily since the early ’90s, appearing in the Julia Roberts/Dennis Quaid vehicle Something To Talk About (1995), John Singleton’s tragic historical drama Rosewood (1997), and a string of high-profile TV series.
—EW.com, 20 July 2025
This summer, in particular, has been defined by a tragic surge in deadly flash floods across the United States, underscoring the escalating volatility of our warming world.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 20 July 2025
Each year, stories of people acting heroically to rescue others from the water turn tragic when the rescuers end up caught in the rip currents and drown.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 19 July 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 23 Jul. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share