tragicomedy

noun

tragi·​com·​e·​dy ˌtra-ji-ˈkä-mə-dē 

: a drama or a situation blending tragic and comic elements

Examples of tragicomedy in a Sentence

The play is a tragicomedy about a man's search for love.

Recent Examples on the Web

This was the run that was supposed to make up for that tragicomedy of errors. —Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025

The longtime friends put their chemistry to good use in the latest revival of Samuel Beckett's tragicomedy. —Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2025

Its jacket copy states, With a voice somewhere between Violeta Parra and Bad Bunny, Paulina Flores paints a portrait of a city, a generation, and its distinctive characteristics in this tragicomedy. —Diana Arterian july 30, Literary Hub, 30 July 2025

Told with a classic heist structure and hints of tragicomedy, the story follows an ordinary government employee obsessed with winning the Melate lottery. —Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 23 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle French tragicomedie, from Old Italian tragicomedia, from Old Spanish, from Latin tragicomoedia, from tragicus + comoedia comedy

First Known Use

circa 1580, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tragicomedy

• comedy

Kids Definition

tragicomedy

noun

tragi·​com·​edy

ˌtraj-i-ˈkäm-əd-ē

: a play or situation which blends tragic and comic elements

tragicomic

-ˈkäm-ik

adjective

also tragicomical

-i-kəl