tragicomic

adjective

tragi·​com·​ic ˌtra-ji-ˈkä-mik How to pronounce tragicomic (audio)
variants or less commonly tragicomical
1
: of, relating to, or resembling tragicomedy
2
: manifesting both tragic and comic aspects

Examples of tragicomic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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His straight red card for a studs-up tackle on Kenny Tete to kneecap 58 encouragingly bright minutes on his Chelsea debut instantly became a defining tragicomic image of the worst season of the club’s modern history. Liam Twomey, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2025 And this tragicomic tale of two unmarried sisters, is considered one of the New Zealand author’s finest. Fran Littlewood june 24, Literary Hub, 24 June 2025 So don't expect premeditated murder, exactly – but there may well be some dialogue sharp enough to draw blood in this tragicomic debut novel. Colin Dwyer, NPR, 1 Apr. 2025 Cox then recounted the tragicomic story that's held her back all these years from finding freedom on the open road. Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 12 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tragicomic

Word History

First Known Use

1567, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tragicomic was in 1567

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Cite this Entry

“Tragicomic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tragicomic. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.

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