tragicomic

adjective tragi·com·ic \ ˌtra-ji-ˈkä-mik \

variants: or less commonly tragicomical play \ˌtra-ji-ˈkä-mi-kəl\

Updated on: 7 Apr 2018

Definition of tragicomic

1 : of, relating to, or resembling tragicomedy

2 : manifesting both tragic and comic aspects

Recent Examples of tragicomic from the Web

This tragicomic meditation on growing old is not to be missed.

— toby zinman, Philly.com, "'Three Tall Women' at the John Golden Theatre: Who could ask for more?," 2 Apr. 2018
Megh Wright outlines the tragicomic rivalry brewing between the entrepreneur and the comedy publication.

— ray rahman, The Hollywood Reporter, "What Matters in Hollywood Today," 16 Mar. 2018
The tragicomic indie film about 1991 U.S. figure skating champ Tonya Harding, her hardscrabble upbringing in Portland, Ore., and her eventual fall from grace is of interest locally because of the role Cobo Arena played in Harding’s life story.

— greg crawford, Detroit Free Press, "Plan your weekend: Vampires, wellness expo and Tonya Harding," 3 Jan. 2018
Those who still persist in denying the extent of clear wrongdoing will suffer the tragicomic fate of Watergate-era Representative Charles Sandman (an authentic World War II hero) and Rabbi Baruch Korff (who as a child fled Ukrainian pogroms).

— victor davis hanson, National Review, "Scandal, Corruption, Lawbreaking — And So What?," 13 Feb. 2018
Mildred is a small but pivotal role, one that sets the stage for Yank's tragicomic undoing.

— andrea simakis, cleveland.com, "Dobama Theatre's family show 'Sherlock Holmes: The Baker Street Irregulars' is slow going for all ages (review)," 9 Dec. 2017
The songs ended up cryptic and emphatic, tragicomic and bold: taking things to the limit in taut three-minute packages.

— jon pareles, jon caramanica and giovanni russonello, New York Times, "The Best Albums of 2017," 6 Dec. 2017
In a novel that gleefully blends thriller elements with sociohistorical considerations, a disgraced Israeli agent offers tragicomic reflections on the broken promises of the Promised Land.

— New York Times, "12 New Books We Recommend This Week," 21 Sep. 2017
Wednesday’s speech, marked by a string of tragicomic incidents, encapsulated the difficulties of her premiership.

— jason douglas, WSJ, "U.K.’s May Battles Coughing Fit, Prankster, Falling Scenery in Speech," 4 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tragicomic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of tragicomic

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