Meaning & use
tragic
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Very sad because it involves great suffering, loss or death.
Grammar: Describes events, accidents and stories: a tragic accident.
Patterns
- tragic for someone
The tragic accident left the town in shock.
It is tragic that so many young people were hurt.
She told the tragic story of her family's escape.
adjectivebefore a nountechnical
In literature and theater, relating to a serious drama in which a main character is brought down by flaws or fate.
Grammar: Used before nouns such as hero, flaw or drama; contrasts with comic.
Hamlet is a classic tragic hero.
The play's tragic flaw is the king's pride.
Greek tragic theater often involved fate.
adjectivecomparableinformalhumorous
Used informally to say that something is very bad or embarrassing, often as an exaggeration.
Grammar: Informal and often humorous; exaggerates a small problem.
The haircut was honestly tragic.
His dancing was tragic, but we all laughed.
Running out of coffee is a tragic start to the day.
Word forms
| comparative | more tragic |
|---|---|
| superlative | most tragic |
Common combinations
- tragic accident
- A tragic accident closed the road.
- tragic loss
- The team mourned the tragic loss of its coach.
- tragic hero
- The tragic hero falls because of his pride.
- tragic consequences
- The decision had tragic consequences.
- tragic irony
- There was a tragic irony in his death.
- tragic flaw
- Ambition is the character's tragic flaw.
Synonyms and how they differ
- heartbreaking
- Heartbreaking emphasizes the emotional pain the viewer feels, while tragic describes the event itself.
- disastrous
- Disastrous focuses on the terrible result, not on sadness.
- calamitous
- Calamitous is more formal and about large-scale misfortune.
- sad
- Sad is weaker and everyday, while tragic implies serious suffering or loss.
Opposites
Word family
- tragedy noun
- a very sad event or a serious play
- tragically adverb
- in a very sad way
- tragedian noun
- a writer or actor of tragedies
- tragicomic adjective
- mixing sad and funny elements
Commonly confused: tragic or traumatic?
tragic vs traumatic
Traumatic describes an experience that causes lasting emotional shock, whereas tragic describes an event involving great loss.
Practice
Which sentence uses tragic in its serious, non-joking sense?
Choose one answer.
Only the flood involves real, serious suffering. The other sentences exaggerate small annoyances for humor.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “tragic”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.