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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tragedy
Any loss of life is a profound tragedy, and our thoughts are with all those affected.
—
Matt Schooley, CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
Except for a family tragedy – and my escape into American youth novels – my high school years in the 1990s have always been a blur.
—Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
As expected, the former talk show, 61, host has not publicly commented on the family tragedy.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 17 Feb. 2026
The year 2025 saw the release of Mariam Rahmani’s Liquid, a novel about a scholar in Los Angeles who vows to go on 100 dates to find a husband before a family tragedy pulls her to Tehran.
—Hafsa Lodi, Vogue, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tragedy
Matt Schooley, CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
Except for a family tragedy – and my escape into American youth novels – my high school years in the 1990s have always been a blur.
—Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
As expected, the former talk show, 61, host has not publicly commented on the family tragedy.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 17 Feb. 2026
The year 2025 saw the release of Mariam Rahmani’s Liquid, a novel about a scholar in Los Angeles who vows to go on 100 dates to find a husband before a family tragedy pulls her to Tehran.
—Hafsa Lodi, Vogue, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tragedy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tragedy
Noun
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Another measure, House Bill 1645, would create state versions of FEMA programs as Mississippi officials prepare for reduced federal disaster support.—
ALEX ROZIER Mississippi Today,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
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The February 2021 freeze became one of the deadliest and costliest disasters in state history.—
Newsroom Meteorologist,
Houston Chronicle,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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There’s some luck involved with that, but there’s far more to it than misfortune.—
Sam McDowell
February 5,
Kansas City Star,
5 Feb. 2026
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This was a window where Villa had to adjust to injury misfortune and, all the while, satisfy Emery’s wishes for improvement.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
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His exile finally ended in November—just in time for a second crypto calamity in the form of FTX’s collapse.—
Leo Schwartz,
Fortune,
17 Feb. 2026
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And perhaps no one is more familiar with how thin the line is between triumph and calamity than Vonn.—
Will Graves,
Twin Cities,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Sure, there’s the intimation of a world gone to pieces, whether from a quantum apocalypse or an ecological catastrophe; there’s the presentation of a modern self, stripped of its qualities and evacuated of purpose.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
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The first time was in 2009, when papers across the country were slashing books coverage in an attempt to stave off budgetary apocalypse.—
Boris Kachka,
The Atlantic,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tragedy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tragedy. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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