tragic

adjective

ˈtra-jik How to pronounce tragic (audio)
variants also tragical
Definition of tragicnext
as in unfortunate
of a kind to cause great distress in a tragic turn of events the area's sole remaining steel mill suddenly closed

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tragic McGrady worked for the late Princess of Wales from 1993 until her tragic death in 1997. — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 1 July 2026 And when Nicky cuts his hand off, there’s differences between how Gabriella reacts to it and Armand, who understands that this is quite tragic. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 July 2026 The victim was later identified as Brittany Clark, a resident of Orlando who had been swimming in the river with friends and her boyfriend at the time of the tragic attack, which resulted in fatal injuries. — Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 1 July 2026 Titled ‘Forever 20′, it has been placed on 97 Avenue, close to the stadium’s Main Stand, on the eve of the first anniversary of their tragic passing in a car crash in Spain last July. — James Pearce, New York Times, 2 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for tragic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tragic
unfortunate
Adjective
  • As attendees were escorted out of the Great American State Fair on Sunday because of inclement weather, guests noticed an unfortunate typo displayed on a digital billboard at the National Mall.
    — Mike Stunson, USA Today, 30 June 2026
  • They should be trained not to ask a bunch of questions about the medical condition, express doubt, comment that the timing is unfortunate or share private information with co-workers.
    — Seth Turner, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of unfortunate

Browse Nearby Words

tragedy
tragic
tragically
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tragic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tragic. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on tragic

Nglish: Translation of tragic for Spanish Speakers

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