tragic flaw

[ traj-ik flaw ]

noun

, Literature.

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

tragic flaw

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of tragic flaw¹

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

Depending on the outcome of November’s election after his belated decision to withdraw, his lifelong stubbornness may prove to have been his tragic flaw.

From Los Angeles Times

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

From Seattle Times

History reflects humankind’s most tragic flaw: Humans are incapable of protecting themselves from themselves.

From Washington Post

Both ignore vast swathes of history and hold liberals responsible for destroying the Constitution they selectively revere, while never looking too closely at how much it accommodated slavery, for example, and never taking seriously the full scope of the Reconstruction amendments that at least tried to correct that tragic flaw.

From Salon

He’s a man constantly overheated, which is what makes him tick, and is his tragic flaw.

From New York Times