tragic
Americanadjective
-
characteristic or suggestive of tragedy.
tragic solemnity.
- Antonyms:
- comic
-
extremely mournful, melancholy, or pathetic.
a tragic plight.
- Synonyms:
- pitiful
- Antonyms:
- comic
-
dreadful, calamitous, disastrous, or fatal.
a tragic event.
- Antonyms:
- comic
-
of, pertaining to, characterized by, or of the nature of tragedy.
the tragic drama.
-
acting in or writing tragedy.
a tragic actor; a tragic poet.
noun
adjective
-
of, relating to, or characteristic of tragedy
-
mournful or pitiable
a tragic face
Other Word Forms
-
nontragicalnessnoun
-
tragicalnessnoun
-
untragicalnessnoun
-
hypertragicadjective
-
hypertragicaladjective
-
nontragicadjective
-
nontragicaladjective
-
quasi-tragicadjective
-
supertragicadjective
-
untragicadjective
-
untragicaladjective
-
hypertragicallyadverb
-
nontragicallyadverb
-
quasi-tragicallyadverb
-
supertragicallyadverb
-
tragicallyadverb
-
untragicallyadverb
Etymology
Origin of tragic
First recorded in 1535–45; from Latin tragicus, from Greek tragikós “of tragedy,” from trág(os) “goat” + -ikos -ic; see tragedy ( def. )
Explanation
Tragic means sad on a grand scale. Rain on your parade? Sad. Weeks of rain leading to the destruction of a small town and the lives of those in it? Tragic. Though the word tragic has come to be used for common sorrows, it's best reserved for the kind of sad, unavoidable situations that Shakespeare would have written about. In a staged tragedy, the main character comes to a sad end due to his or her one tragic flaw –– this lead is called a tragic hero.
Vocabulary lists containing tragic
Unit 1: Telling Details
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Tale of Despereaux
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Wednesday Wars
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Appeared in the April 1, 2026, print edition as 'The Tragic Tale of Tiger Woods'.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
“Trump really took Giuliani under his wing at a very vulnerable moment,” said Mr. Kirtzman, whose second Giuliani biography, “Giuliani: The Rise and Tragic Fall of America’s Mayor,” was published last year.
From Washington Times • Aug. 25, 2023
Her latest single Tragic was released on 14 February this year.
From BBC • Jul. 5, 2023
Viewers got to hear the rest of the song from that first social media teaser: a cover of No Doubt's hit "Just a Girl" from their third studio album "Tragic Kingdom."
From Salon • Mar. 9, 2023
This is the story of the struggle between a Genius for Tragic Acting and the daughter of a County Clerk, with the social ideal of Taylorville, Ohianna, for the villain.
From A Woman of Genius by Austin, Mary Hunter
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
