1
as in disasters
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 misfortunes
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of tragedies
Early in his life, Short experienced multiple family tragedies in a short span of time, including the death of his older brother David in a car accident in 1962 when the actor was only 12-years-old.
—
Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 11 May 2026
Everyone was in a hurry to move forward into a newly peaceful world, a world without the tragedies of war abroad and the curse of sickness at home.
—Fran Moreland Johns, The Atlantic, 11 May 2026
Are the two tragedies connected?
—Adam Hochschild, The New York Review of Books, 9 May 2026
Far from the cinematic deaths that sci-fi movies promise, real space tragedies would much more likely unfold over time.
—Alan Bradley, Space.com, 8 May 2026
This ranges from accelerating road and sidewalk repairs to regularly cleaning our stormwater systems to prevent avoidable tragedies like the 2024 floods.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Shaped by family tragedies Robert Edward Turner III was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on November 19, 1938.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 6 May 2026
Through the decades, the Orlando Sentinel has highlighted the region’s natural jewels and exposed a range of environmental tragedies, often through the voices of residents who called attention to them, fought to fix them — and sometimes succeeded.
—Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 May 2026
On a single day in America, two tragedies unfolded that should force us to confront an uncomfortable truth.
—Chicago Tribune, 3 May 2026
Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 11 May 2026
Everyone was in a hurry to move forward into a newly peaceful world, a world without the tragedies of war abroad and the curse of sickness at home.
—Fran Moreland Johns, The Atlantic, 11 May 2026
Are the two tragedies connected?
—Adam Hochschild, The New York Review of Books, 9 May 2026
Far from the cinematic deaths that sci-fi movies promise, real space tragedies would much more likely unfold over time.
—Alan Bradley, Space.com, 8 May 2026
This ranges from accelerating road and sidewalk repairs to regularly cleaning our stormwater systems to prevent avoidable tragedies like the 2024 floods.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Shaped by family tragedies Robert Edward Turner III was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on November 19, 1938.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 6 May 2026
Through the decades, the Orlando Sentinel has highlighted the region’s natural jewels and exposed a range of environmental tragedies, often through the voices of residents who called attention to them, fought to fix them — and sometimes succeeded.
—Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 May 2026
On a single day in America, two tragedies unfolded that should force us to confront an uncomfortable truth.
—Chicago Tribune, 3 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tragedies
Noun
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Through skill, sacrifice and professionalism, our first responders have narrowly avoided major disasters, including the recent high-rise fire in Towson that could have ended far worse without rapid response and coordination on scene.—
Nick Stewart,
Baltimore Sun,
9 May 2026
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That could leave states on the hook for millions of dollars to rebuild roads, schools and other infrastructure after tornadoes, floods and other disasters that do not cause enough widespread damage to meet the new criteria for federal assistance.—
Lauren Sommer,
NPR,
7 May 2026
Noun
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The Philadelphia singer-songwriter seeks out the mystical potential of quotidian misfortunes in a set of psychedelic-of-center bedroom pop songs.—
Lily Goldberg,
Pitchfork,
8 Apr. 2026
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But a staggering series of misfortunes – an arsonist destroyed her rental house; the private equity firm that owned the house still demanded two months’ rent and kept her security deposit; she was diagnosed with ovarian and breast cancer – forced her into tenuous housing situations.—
John Blake,
CNN Money,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
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California is being hammered with more frequent and devastating catastrophes, and that’s making the entire insurance market riskier and more expensive, exacerbating mistakes made by government and the private sector alike.—
Ben Allen,
Oc Register,
2 May 2026
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What was in the hearts of the humans who diarized catastrophes on the Elbe’s river rocks seven centuries ago—and in 2018?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The winter had been a season of calamities, with one emergency or challenge after another.—
Moira McCarthy,
Boston Herald,
10 May 2026
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Farmers markets — that humble and charming throwback to a bygone era — are also struggling with higher fuel prices, after weathering the economic calamities of the pandemic and other misfortunes.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2026
Noun
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Based on Thornton Wilder’s The Skin of Our Teeth, the surrealist musical follows one nuclear family across thousands of years and three apocalypses.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
10 Dec. 2025
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And a lot of the pseudepigrapha, like the fake gospels and fake apocalypses, fill in gaps in the record that can serve latter-day, post-biblical purposes.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tragedies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tragedies. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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