tragedy

noun
UK: /ˈtrædʒədi/
US: /ˈtrædʒədi/

  1. A very sad event or situation, often involving death.

    1. The car crash was a terrible tragedy. [ ] [ ]
    2. The sinking of the ship was a major tragedy for the country. [ ] [ ]

  2. A play or film in which very sad things happen and the main character usually dies.

    1. Shakespeare wrote many famous tragedies. [ ] [ ]
    2. The film was a moving tragedy about love and loss during wartime. [ ] [ ]

  3. An event causing great suffering, destruction, and distress, such as a serious accident, crime, or natural catastrophe.

    1. The earthquake was an unspeakable tragedy. [ ] [ ]
    2. It is a tragedy that so many people are without clean water. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

disaster misfortune catastrophe adversity

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "tragedy" in English means: A very sad event or situation, often involving death., A play or film in which very sad things happen and the main character usually dies., An event causing great suffering, destruction, and distress, such as a serious accident, crime, or natural catastrophe..

The phonetic transcription of "tragedy" is /ˈtrædʒədi/ in British English and /ˈtrædʒədi/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "tragedy": disaster, misfortune, catastrophe, adversity.

Example usage of "tragedy": "The car crash was a terrible tragedy.". More examples on the page.