tragic

[traj-ik] /ˈtrædʒ ɪk/
adjective
1.
characteristic or suggestive of tragedy:
tragic solemnity.
2.
extremely mournful, melancholy, or pathetic:
a tragic plight.
3.
dreadful, calamitous, disastrous, or fatal:
a tragic event.
4.
of, pertaining to, characterized by, or of the nature of tragedy:
the tragic drama.
5.
acting in or writing tragedy:
a tragic actor; a tragic poet.
6.
the tragic, the element or quality of tragedy in literature, art, drama, etc.:
lives that had never known anything but the tragic.
Also, tragical.
Origin
1535-45; < Latin tragicus < Greek tragikós of tragedy, equivalent to trág(os) goat + -ikos -ic
Related forms
tragically, adverb
tragicalness, noun
hypertragic, adjective
hypertragical, adjective
hypertragically, adverb
nontragic, adjective
nontragical, adjective
nontragically, adverb
nontragicalness, noun
quasi-tragic, adjective
quasi-tragically, adverb
supertragic, adjective
supertragically, adverb
untragic, adjective
untragical, adjective
untragically, adverb
untragicalness, noun
Synonyms
2. distressing, pitiful.
Antonyms
1–3. comic.
Examples from the web for tragic
  • tragic events sometimes bring out the best in people.
  • As resources are not unlimited, it leads to tragic overpopulation, conflict and famine.
  • The warnings were clear, yet the outcome was tragic.
  • The demonic influence exerted over another human is tragic.
  • As tragic as this food scenario is, however, it's precisely the way many of us drink wine.
  • His lasting postcolonial imprint reveals a far more nefarious interest and tragic outcome.
  • Most tragic of course is the heavy loss of human life and devastation of livelihoods in the affected regions.
  • In a dramatic turn of events, a tragic explosion strikes the soldiers and film crew.
  • He turned to top secret military research and led a tragic private life.
  • Not demonic possession, but a tragic molting accident.
British Dictionary definitions for tragic

tragic

/ˈtrædʒɪk/
adjective
1.
of, relating to, or characteristic of tragedy
2.
mournful or pitiable: a tragic face
Derived Forms
tragically, adverb
Word Origin and History for tragic
adj.

1540s, "calamitous, disastrous, fatal," shortened from tragical (late 15c.), modeled on Latin tragicus, from Greek tragikos "of or pertaining to tragedy," literally "of or pertaining to a goat," and probably referring to a satyr impersonated by a goat singer or satyric actor (see tragedy). Tragic flaw (1913) translates Greek hamartia.