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
- hypertragic adjective
- hypertragical adjective
- hypertragically adverb
- nontragic adjective
- nontragical adjective
- nontragically adverb
- nontragicalness noun
- quasi-tragic adjective
- quasi-tragically adverb
- supertragic adjective
- supertragically adverb
- tragically adverb
- tragicalness noun
- untragic adjective
- untragical adjective
- untragically adverb
- untragicalness noun
Etymology
Origin of tragic
First recorded in 1535–45; from Latin tragicus, from Greek tragikós “of tragedy,” from trág(os) “goat” + -ikos -ic; tragedy ( def. )
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.
At one point near the play’s tragic climax, Willy is feverishly planting seeds in the backyard, but Elliott gives no credibility to any of his character’s actions.
From Los Angeles Times
One thing was clear: He was a tragic liar.
From Literature
Liz Kimmins said recent tragic incidents involving children had highlighted the risks that can arise when passengers are getting on or off buses.
From BBC
Even a sticker on Scottie’s dresser drawer referring to “E.T.” makes us consider the tragic new limits of these children’s lives.
“This is so tragic, and is emblematic of the tough challenges that Mayor Bass is taking on that were ignored for decades,” the mayor’s office said in a statement.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
