tragedy
noun
trag·e·dy
ˈtra-jə-dē 
plural tragedies
1
a
: a disastrous event : calamity
b
2
a
: a serious drama typically describing a conflict between the protagonist and a superior force (such as destiny) and having a sorrowful or disastrous conclusion that elicits pity or terror
b
: the literary genre of tragic dramas
c
: a medieval narrative poem or tale typically describing the downfall of a great man
3
: tragic quality or element
Synonyms
Examples of tragedy in a Sentence
Her son's death was a terrible tragedy.
The situation ended in tragedy when the gunman shot and killed two students.
The biggest tragedy here is that the accident could have easily been prevented.
“Hamlet” is one of Shakespeare's best-known tragedies.
The students are studying Greek tragedy.
an actor who is drawn to tragedy
Recent Examples on the Web
Her death was the greatest tragedy of his life, Bird said.
—
Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2024
Some view the tragedy as a potential turning point in the Israel-Gaza war, which has dragged on for almost half a year.
—Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024
That’s a joy that pervades the book, despite a subplot involving an illicit romance that ends in tragedy.
—Chelsea Leu, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2024
The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge near Baltimore was a tragedy that resulted in the deaths of six construction workers.
—The Editors, National Review, 3 Apr. 2024
But my project was to write not about the tragedy of having a sick kid, but about the kind of community and solidarity and strange blessings, to use a cheesy word, that emerged from caring for a sick child, and the way this woman is making meaning and finding community.
—Chloe Schama, Vogue, 2 Apr. 2024
He’s conflated the tragedies in his own personal life with what Israelis felt on that day.
—Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2024
An unfortunate excavating accident in upstate New York could have ended in tragedy for a tiny bear cub — but the young bear’s skittish instincts may have saved its life.
—Brooke Baitinger, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2024
Beach visit ends in tragedy Emily MacDonald and her boyfried, Kory Ernster, drowned in South Haven in August 2022.
—Jennifer Dixon, Detroit Free Press, 23 Mar. 2024
Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2024
Some view the tragedy as a potential turning point in the Israel-Gaza war, which has dragged on for almost half a year.
—Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024
That’s a joy that pervades the book, despite a subplot involving an illicit romance that ends in tragedy.
—Chelsea Leu, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2024
The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge near Baltimore was a tragedy that resulted in the deaths of six construction workers.
—The Editors, National Review, 3 Apr. 2024
But my project was to write not about the tragedy of having a sick kid, but about the kind of community and solidarity and strange blessings, to use a cheesy word, that emerged from caring for a sick child, and the way this woman is making meaning and finding community.
—Chloe Schama, Vogue, 2 Apr. 2024
He’s conflated the tragedies in his own personal life with what Israelis felt on that day.
—Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2024
An unfortunate excavating accident in upstate New York could have ended in tragedy for a tiny bear cub — but the young bear’s skittish instincts may have saved its life.
—Brooke Baitinger, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2024
Beach visit ends in tragedy Emily MacDonald and her boyfried, Kory Ernster, drowned in South Haven in August 2022.
—Jennifer Dixon, Detroit Free Press, 23 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tragedy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Tragedy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tragedy. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tragedy
noun
trag·e·dy
ˈtraj-əd-ē
plural tragedies
1
: a serious drama with a sorrowful or disastrous conclusion
2
: a disastrous event
Etymology
Middle English tragedie "tragedy as a drama," from early French tragedie (same meaning), from Latin tragoedia (same meaning), from Greek tragōidia "a drama about the misfortunes of heroes," literally "goat song," from tragos "goat" and aeidein "to sing"
Word Origin
Tragedy as a form of drama began in ancient Greece. It developed from the public performances of songs and dances at religious festivals. These festivals were held in honor of Dionysus, the god of wine and fertility. The Greeks called these performances tragōidia, which meant literally "goat song." The word came from tragos, meaning "goat" and aeidein, meaning "to sing." These performances were at first given by a chorus. Later, however, it became popular to have one member of the chorus stand apart from the others and give a spoken introduction to or interpretation of the story. This speaker soon took over a larger and larger role in the performances. In time, this person was joined by more speakers until the dramas came to be like our modern plays with many parts acted out. It is not certain why these performances were named with a word for "goat." One explanation is that a goat was given as a prize to the person presenting the best drama. Another is that the goat was sacred to the god Dionysus and was sacrificed to him at these festivals. The early tragedies were stories of the misfortunes of heroes of legend or history, and that idea of misfortune carries on today in the common meaning of our word tragedy.
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