variants
or less commonly tragical
1
a
: regrettably serious or unpleasant : deplorable, lamentable
a tragic mistake
b
: marked by a sense of tragedy
2
: of, marked by, or expressive of tragedy
the tragic significance of the atomic bomb—
H. S. Truman
H. S. Truman3
a
: dealing with or treated in tragedy
the tragic hero
b
: appropriate to or typical of tragedy
Examples of tragic in a Sentence
Their deaths were tragic and untimely.
They both died in a tragic car accident.
Romeo and Juliet's tragic love affair.
We saw a tragic play about a man with AIDS.
the tragic characters of her novel
Recent Examples on the Web
This is a tragic statistic, and too many brilliant, capable women are suffering because of it.
—Melissa Houston, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
The law followed the tragic and preventable death of a 16-year-old football player who died from heat stroke during football practice three years earlier.
—Jenna Dipaolo, Sun Sentinel, 1 June 2025
Almost seven years ago to the day, on June 1, 2018, Cauley suffered a tragic fate.
—Kendall Capps, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 May 2025
Because to us, the most funny things are right next to the most tragic things.
—Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for tragic
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Melissa Houston, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
The law followed the tragic and preventable death of a 16-year-old football player who died from heat stroke during football practice three years earlier.
—Jenna Dipaolo, Sun Sentinel, 1 June 2025
Almost seven years ago to the day, on June 1, 2018, Cauley suffered a tragic fate.
—Kendall Capps, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 May 2025
Because to us, the most funny things are right next to the most tragic things.
—Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for tragic
Cite this Entry
“Tragic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tragic. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tragic
adjective
trag·ic
ˈtraj-ik 
1
: of, marked by, or expressive of tragedy
2
: dealing with or appearing in tragedy
a tragic hero
3
: very unfortunate : deplorable
a tragic mistake
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