tragedy

American  

[traj-i-dee] / ˈtrædʒ ɪ di /

noun

plural

tragedies

1. a lamentable, dreadful, or fatal event or affair; calamity; disaster.

   stunned by the tragedy of so many deaths.

2. a dramatic composition, often in verse, dealing with a serious or somber theme, typically involving a great person destined to experience downfall or utter destruction, as through a character flaw or conflict with some overpowering force, as fate or an unyielding society.

3. the branch of the drama that is concerned with this form of composition.

4. the art and theory of writing and producing tragedies.

5. any literary composition, as a novel, dealing with a somber theme carried to a tragic or disastrous conclusion.

6. the tragic or mournful or calamitous element of drama, of literature generally, or of life.

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tragedy British  

/ ˈtrædʒɪdɪ /

noun

1. (esp in classical and Renaissance drama) a play in which the protagonist, usually a man of importance and outstanding personal qualities, falls to disaster through the combination of a personal failing and circumstances with which he cannot deal

2. (in later drama, such as that of Ibsen) a play in which the protagonist is overcome by a combination of social and psychological circumstances

3. any dramatic or literary composition dealing with serious or sombre themes and ending with disaster

4. (in medieval literature) a literary work in which a great person falls from prosperity to disaster, often through no fault of his own

5. the branch of drama dealing with such themes

6. the unfortunate aspect of something

7. a shocking or sad event; disaster

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tragedy Cultural  

1. A serious drama in which a central character, the protagonist — usually an important, heroic person — meets with disaster either through some personal fault or through unavoidable circumstances. In most cases, the protagonist's downfall conveys a sense of human dignity in the face of great conflict. Tragedy originated in ancient Greece in the works of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. In modern times, it achieved excellence with William Shakespeare in such works as Hamlet, King Lear, Macbeth, and Othello. Twentieth-century tragedies include Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller, and Murder in the Cathedral, by T. S. Eliot.

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Discover More

In common usage, disasters of many kinds are called tragedies.

Aristotle argued that the proper effect of tragedy is catharsis — the purging of the emotions.

Other Word Forms

• nontragedy noun
• protragedy adjective
• supertragedy noun

Etymology

Origin of tragedy

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English tragedie, from Medieval Latin tragēdia, Latin tragoedia, from Greek tragōidía, from trág(os) “goat” + ōid(ḗ) “song” ( ode ) + -ia -y ³; reason for name variously explained

Example Sentences

It isn’t cynical to acknowledge this moral tragedy.

From The Wall Street Journal

Now he’ll be able to remember his brother as motivation and inspiration and the family can rally around him as they try to heal from a tragedy they had no control over.

From Los Angeles Times

Religious leaders and an official from the county’s Department of Behavioral Wellness spoke about the need to heal after the tragedy and how the sea can be a source of comfort.

From Los Angeles Times

Like she had singlehandedly saved me from the tragedy of losing my parents—to say nothing of the months of therapy, my grandma’s patient love, or everything else that had helped me.

From Literature

If I fell here, I would be just one more victim of this tragedy.

From Literature

Related Words

• adversity
• calamity
• catastrophe
• failure
• hardship
• humiliation
• misfortune
• mishap
• shock
• struggle
• woe
• wreck