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
In the Wicked films, Ethan Slater shows the beginning of his story as Boq and how his tragic transformation into tin unfolded.
—Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 25 Nov. 2025
Set against the backdrop of Goa’s transformation from a tranquil coastal region to an urban sprawl, the story blends comedic and tragic moments while exploring themes of memory, loss and human connection.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 24 Nov. 2025
Crowe first befriended Steve in the 1990s, and has remained close to the family since the outback legend's tragic death in 2006.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Nov. 2025
Every other event on our civic calendar asks us to remember something noble, or to mourn something tragic, or to celebrate something grand or abstract, but Thanksgiving just asks us to be hungry together, and then to eat.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tragic
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Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 25 Nov. 2025
Set against the backdrop of Goa’s transformation from a tranquil coastal region to an urban sprawl, the story blends comedic and tragic moments while exploring themes of memory, loss and human connection.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 24 Nov. 2025
Crowe first befriended Steve in the 1990s, and has remained close to the family since the outback legend's tragic death in 2006.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Nov. 2025
Every other event on our civic calendar asks us to remember something noble, or to mourn something tragic, or to celebrate something grand or abstract, but Thanksgiving just asks us to be hungry together, and then to eat.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 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 30 Nov. 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
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