tragic

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“
When, in such wise, the chiefest item of one side of the sheet fails to explain itself to the other, the tragic is attained On the day following Maitland's departure for New York, Mr. Darrow was buried.

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Definitions (12)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (3)

  1. adjective Relating to or characteristic of dramatic tragedy or tragedies: tragic plays; the tragic hero.
  2. adjective Writing or performing in tragedy: a tragic poet.
  3. adjective Having the elements of tragedy; involving death, grief, or destruction: a tragic accident.

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Examples (50)

  • All these wonderful and subtle reasons for the tragic issue, all this apprehensive forecasting of the blow that awaits the woman "at the end of life," and the magnanimity which even then she shall find dreadfully awaiting her all this is noble enough to read of, but imagine its atmosphere in daily life! —  Browning's Heroines
  • Can't you see that girl coming into my life would bring constantly before me my daughter's downfall and death Her voice was tragic, and Frederick's heart always had been tender toward his mother. —  The Secret of the Storm Country
  • The root is tragic, and not fantastic, nor is there any excess, nor anything strained beyond the limit of tragedy, in the passion of Hervor Definite imagination of a tragic plot, and sure comprehension of the value of dramatic problems, are not enough in themselves to make a perfect poem. —  Epic and Romance Essays on Medieval Literature
  • She thought her life had been tragic, and that she had made a heroic sacrifice of her love to the necessity which her genius laid upon her to do a certain work in the world I should be afraid to say that she was altogether wrong. —  Girls and Women
  • It is only when we are alone that you are--tragic. —  Dross
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Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Latin tragicus, from Greek tragikos, from tragos, goat.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. =F. tragique =Spanish trágico =Portuguese Italian tragico, from Latin tragicus, from Greek τραγικός, from τράγος, pertaining to tragedy, etc., literally‘pertaining to a goat,’ a sense found first in later authors, the orig. use being prob. ‘pertaining to a goat’ or satyr as personated by a ‘goat-singer,’ or satyric actor: see tragedy. Tragic is thus used as the adjective of tragedy, as comic is the adjective of comedy, though etymologically these adjectives belong only to the first elements of the nouns respectively.
 

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/ˈtrædʒɪk/
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