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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of tragedies
In Greek tragedies, the hero is felled by a fatal flaw.
—
Maer Roshan, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 2026
The ballets that dancers revere most and that companies rely on to fill theaters are mostly fairytales or Shakespearean tragedies about straight couples—Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, Romeo and Juliet—in which the woman dies or is turned into a bird.
—Chloe Angyal, Time, 9 Mar. 2026
In the wake of tragedies, like the devastating Fourth of July floods, neighbors, strangers, and entire communities rally together to help those in need.
—Kat Stinson, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2026
Such reports are used by avalanche safety researchers and instructors to try and avert future tragedies.
—Sacbee.com, 9 Mar. 2026
In a statement, the family's attorney said that the lawsuit seeks justice for Jeffers while advocating for stronger security measures to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
—Frederick Sutton Sinclair, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2026
Michael Hoffman’s slight, charming adaptation isn’t well-remembered — probably because the Bard’s work was getting the big-screen treatment a lot back then and, also, the tragedies tend to be more dynamic.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2026
Like much of the Coens’ work, these are tragedies tinged with mordant humor and punctuated by the bleakest twists of fate.
—Sezin Devi Keohler, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Mar. 2026
Until Republicans find the courage to say no to the NRA, our country will be plagued with more tragedies.
—Emiliano Tahui Gómez, Austin American Statesman, 1 Mar. 2026
Maer Roshan, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 2026
The ballets that dancers revere most and that companies rely on to fill theaters are mostly fairytales or Shakespearean tragedies about straight couples—Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, Romeo and Juliet—in which the woman dies or is turned into a bird.
—Chloe Angyal, Time, 9 Mar. 2026
In the wake of tragedies, like the devastating Fourth of July floods, neighbors, strangers, and entire communities rally together to help those in need.
—Kat Stinson, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2026
Such reports are used by avalanche safety researchers and instructors to try and avert future tragedies.
—Sacbee.com, 9 Mar. 2026
In a statement, the family's attorney said that the lawsuit seeks justice for Jeffers while advocating for stronger security measures to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
—Frederick Sutton Sinclair, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2026
Michael Hoffman’s slight, charming adaptation isn’t well-remembered — probably because the Bard’s work was getting the big-screen treatment a lot back then and, also, the tragedies tend to be more dynamic.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2026
Like much of the Coens’ work, these are tragedies tinged with mordant humor and punctuated by the bleakest twists of fate.
—Sezin Devi Keohler, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Mar. 2026
Until Republicans find the courage to say no to the NRA, our country will be plagued with more tragedies.
—Emiliano Tahui Gómez, Austin American Statesman, 1 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tragedies
Noun
-
Oil is lighter than water — that’s why disasters like those caused by the Exxon Valdez tanker and the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig create slicks on the surface.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Priority is given to people living in counties that have been impacted by disasters, and any remaining funds could go to people in other counties.—
Dale Denwalt,
Oklahoman,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The journey is hampered by lack of money and other misfortunes, and it’s eventually interrupted by a gunshot, announcing the cantankerous presence of Tiga.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The 33-year-old politician believes that the series illustrates a broader current issue, caused by the resurgence of public interest in the Kennedy clan and its misfortunes.—
Séraphine Roger,
Vanity Fair,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Not everyone can be Francis Ford Coppola, funding his own feverish catastrophes by selling off one of his vineyards.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Kennedy has made no bones about his misplaced skepticism of mRNA vaccines, pinging off the proliferating conspiracies around the COVID vaccines — incredible innovations that saved countless lives during one of the worst global catastrophes in recent memory.—
The Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
There were intervening calamities that Walz, Ellison and Omar had nothing to do with, COVID-19 and the death of George Floyd.—
Joe Soucheray,
Twin Cities,
7 Mar. 2026
-
The apocalypse Rosi presents is not just the legendary one that destroyed the ancient Roman town of the film’s title but an ongoing one that encompasses the calamities of our modern era as well as the rejuvenation that sometimes accompanies destruction.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
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 14 Mar. 2026.
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