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
That tragedy impacts the family deeply, especially her brother Joe, who last saw her.
—
Lizz Schumer, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024
After a personal tragedy, Proffitt wanted to center LGBTQ rights in his campaign — even in a reliably Republican district.
—Serena Lin, Them, 4 Nov. 2024
Because, yes — somehow Peanut’s untimely death has spiraled from a social-media tragedy to a conservative political movement.
—Kate Lindsay, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2024
Well, my guessing game started out fire today and then collapsed into tragedy.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tragedy 
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Lizz Schumer, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024
After a personal tragedy, Proffitt wanted to center LGBTQ rights in his campaign — even in a reliably Republican district.
—Serena Lin, Them, 4 Nov. 2024
Because, yes — somehow Peanut’s untimely death has spiraled from a social-media tragedy to a conservative political movement.
—Kate Lindsay, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2024
Well, my guessing game started out fire today and then collapsed into tragedy.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tragedy
Articles Related to tragedy
Dictionary Entries Near tragedy
Cite this Entry
“Tragedy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tragedy. Accessed 28 Nov. 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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