1
as in disaster
a sudden violent event that brings about great loss or destruction
the earthquake and the ensuing damage was the worst tragedy to ever befall the city
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in misfortune
bad luck or an example of this
it's the tragedy of many great artists not to be recognized for their genius until after they're dead
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tragedy
The Madison tells the story of the Clyburns, a family that makes the move from Manhattan to Montana after suffering a profound tragedy.
—
Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Jan. 2026
The tragedy nearly brought the shuttle program to an early end.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 28 Jan. 2026
The chaos and bloodshed in Minneapolis, Minnesota is nothing short of tragedy.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 28 Jan. 2026
Police previously confirmed that two 16-year-old females had suffered life-threatening injuries in the tragedy, before one of the girls — who has since been identified by family and loved ones as Elizabeth Angle — died.
—Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tragedy
Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Jan. 2026
The tragedy nearly brought the shuttle program to an early end.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 28 Jan. 2026
The chaos and bloodshed in Minneapolis, Minnesota is nothing short of tragedy.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 28 Jan. 2026
Police previously confirmed that two 16-year-old females had suffered life-threatening injuries in the tragedy, before one of the girls — who has since been identified by family and loved ones as Elizabeth Angle — died.
—Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tragedy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tragedy
Noun
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Depending on the weather, a disaster emergency could be declared, which can help access state and federal funding.—
Madeline Bartos,
CBS News,
23 Jan. 2026
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Camarda — who was also a member of the first space shuttle crew to launch after the 2003 Columbia disaster — is among a group of former NASA employees who do not believe that the space agency should put astronauts on board the upcoming lunar excursion.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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His mother answered, and the woman offered to examine her family tree to locate ancestral sources of misfortune.—
E. Tammy Kim,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
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The triple death was the latest misfortune to stalk the first manned Apollo mission.—
Orlando Sentinel Staff,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Here’s where naming a Wall Street pro who’s a master of spotting where danger’s building may prove a hedge against a future calamity.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
28 Jan. 2026
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What Trump is most certainly reviewing is the viability of Noem as a Cabinet secretary, who has rapidly become a scapegoat for the predictable calamities of the high-visibility deployment of border guards as SWAT troops in urban centers.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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While the ice apocalypse has wrapped up, dangerously cold air still has a grip on Texas.—
Mary Wasson,
Austin American Statesman,
26 Jan. 2026
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Created in 1947, the Doomsday Clock was created to convey threats to humanity and the Earth using the imagery of apocalypse (midnight) and the contemporary idiom of nuclear explosion (countdown to zero).—
Amaris Encinas,
USA Today,
24 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tragedy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tragedy. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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