tragic flaw

American

[traj-ik flaw] / ˈtrædʒ ɪk ˈflɔ /

noun

Literature.

the character defect that causes the downfall of the protagonist of a tragedy; hamartia.

tragic flaw British

noun

a failing of character in the hero of a tragedy that brings about his downfall

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of tragic flaw

First recorded in 1950–55

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.

See Examples For:

tragic flaw

It was the same tragic flaw that also took down Lion Air Flight 610 in October 2018.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 16, 2024

But Mungo loves Mo-Maw unconditionally; it’s his nature, his tragic flaw.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 5, 2022

Beany struggles with a tragic flaw, a quick temper and a terrible pride, which makes it difficult for her to apologize for the things she does when angry.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 21, 2020

But if Mr. Staley were a character from classical literature, his fidelity would be his tragic flaw.

From New York Times ● Aug. 26, 2017

The Duchess set about studying Annette and shortly found her adversary’s tragic flaw.

From "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023