tragicomedy

noun

tragi·​com·​e·​dy ˌtra-ji-ˈkä-mə-dē How to pronounce tragicomedy (audio)
: 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
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.
Erotic Lives of the Superheroes, a cancer tragicomedy, killer women, and more were among the show pitches presented during the Industry Days program of the 59th edition of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) on Tuesday. Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2025 In Facility Theatre’s new revival of the Irish playwright’s absurdist tragicomedy, the blind and paralyzed character (played by artistic director Kirk Anderson) looks like a slightly steampunk Scrooge, writes Emily McClanathan. Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2025 The man who shuffled offstage last year in the middle of the play — an absurdist tragicomedy plagued by poor reviews and weak attendance — has shuffled back onto it. Rich Lowry, National Review, 9 May 2025 With a classic heist structure and flashes of tragicomedy, this series, directed by Federico Veiroj and Rodrigo Santos, promises humor and suspense. Jamie Lang, Variety, 29 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tragicomedy

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of tragicomedy was circa 1580

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tragicomedy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tragicomedy. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on tragicomedy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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