Meaning & use

tragedy

noun·Academic

An extremely sad event involving death, suffering, or serious loss, or a serious play with an unhappy ending.

See it in a sentence

The whole town mourned the tragedy after the bridge collapsed during rush hour.

Shakespeare's plays include several tragedies, including 'Hamlet' and 'Macbeth.'

A note on using this word

Tragedy refers both to real, devastating events and to a specific dramatic genre in literature and theater.

Words with a similar meaning

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Words with an opposite meaning

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