tragicomic

adjective

tragi·​com·​ic ˌtra-ji-ˈkä-mik 

variants or less commonly tragicomical

ˌtra-ji-ˈkä-mi-kəl 

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

However, the real ineptitude occurs a little earlier when River interprets a fight that Gimball has with Jaffrey’s chief of staff, Tyson Bowman (Abraham Popoola), as a physical attack and inserts himself into the scene, setting off this tragicomic series of events. —Scott Tobias, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2025

Byrne the actor turns out to be stretchable in the best sense; her performance is a marvel of tragicomic elasticity. —Justin Chang, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2025

His performance here most recalls his tragicomic portrayal of John Brown, the heroic but unhinged abolitionist whose quixotic raid on Harpers Ferry helped catalyze the Civil War, in Showtime’s 2020 adaptation of James McBride’s The Good Lord Bird. —Judy Berman, Time, 23 Sep. 2025

Raja the Gullible is another tragicomic triumph. —Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1567, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for tragicomic

• anatomic
• antidromic
• astronomic
• autonomic
• cryptogamic
• diatomic
• economic
• ergonomic
• gastronomic
• monatomic
• psychonomic
• subatomic