Definition of tragic
1a : regrettably serious or unpleasant : deplorable, lamentable a tragic mistakeb : marked by a sense of tragedy
2 : of, marked by, or expressive of tragedy the tragic significance of the atomic bomb — H. S. Truman
3a : dealing with or treated in tragedy the tragic herob : appropriate to or typical of tragedy
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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 of tragic from the Web
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Neither the man who really existed, nor the fictionalized tragic hero of the Lost Cause, are heroes worthy of a statue in a place of honor.
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The toddler who died Friday night after being pulled from a lake in Montgomery County was identified Saturday, and authorities described his death as a tragic accident.
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Tragic enough, but he was supposed to be on a business trip to Kansas.
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Conspiracy theories, a murder mystery and a central figure who’s either a tragic hero or clever villain combine into what would be a mostly engaging documentary.
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Surely the most tragic person who ever lived was Judas, who was blinded by greed and betrayed Christ for 30 pieces of silver.
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Guest curator is meteorologist Bryan Norcross, who was instrumental in helping guide victims through this tragic event.
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The doomed couple (played by Clara Rugaard and Lucien Laviscount) are around long enough to wed in secret and meet their tragic fates.
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This leads to the show’s over-the-top, and then over-the-over-the-top, tragic ending.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tragic'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of tragic
Middle English, from Latin tragicus, from Greek tragikos, irregular from tragōidia tragedy
First Known Use: 15th century
TRAGIC Defined for English Language Learners
tragic
playDefinition of tragic for English Language Learners
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: causing strong feelings of sadness usually because someone has died in a way that seems very shocking, unfair, etc.
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: involving very sad or serious topics : of or relating to tragedy
TRAGIC Defined for Kids
tragic
playDefinition of tragic for Students
1 : very unfortunate a tragic mistake
2 : of or relating to tragedy a tragic drama
Learn More about tragic
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See words that rhyme with tragic Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for tragic Spanish Central: Translation of tragic Nglish: Translation of tragic for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of tragic for Arabic speakers
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