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View synonyms for
tragedy
[ traj-i-dee ]
noun
plural tragedies.
- a lamentable, dreadful, or fatal event or affair; calamity; disaster:
stunned by the tragedy of so many deaths.
- a dramatic composition, often in verse, dealing with a serious or somber theme, typically involving a great person destined to experience downfall or utter destruction, as through a character flaw or conflict with some overpowering force, as fate or an unyielding society.
- the branch of the drama that is concerned with this form of composition.
- the art and theory of writing and producing tragedies.
- any literary composition, as a novel, dealing with a somber theme carried to a tragic or disastrous conclusion.
- the tragic or mournful or calamitous element of drama, of literature generally, or of life.
tragedy
/ ˈٰæɪɪ /
noun
- (esp in classical and Renaissance drama) a play in which the protagonist, usually a man of importance and outstanding personal qualities, falls to disaster through the combination of a personal failing and circumstances with which he cannot deal
- (in later drama, such as that of Ibsen) a play in which the protagonist is overcome by a combination of social and psychological circumstances
- any dramatic or literary composition dealing with serious or sombre themes and ending with disaster
- (in medieval literature) a literary work in which a great person falls from prosperity to disaster, often through no fault of his own
- the branch of drama dealing with such themes
- the unfortunate aspect of something
- a shocking or sad event; disaster
tragedy
- A serious drama in which a central character , the protagonist — usually an important, heroic person — meets with disaster either through some personal fault or through unavoidable circumstances. In most cases, the protagonist's downfall conveys a sense of human dignity in the face of great conflict. Tragedy originated in ancient Greece in the works of Aeschylus , Sophocles , and Euripides . In modern times, it achieved excellence with William Shakespeare in such works as Hamlet, King Lear, Macbeth, and Othello. Twentieth-century tragedies include Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller, and Murder in the Cathedral , by T. S. Eliot .
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Notes
In common usage, disasters of many kinds are called tragedies.
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Other 51Թ Forms
- ԴDz·ٰ· noun plural nontragedies
- ·ٰ· adjective
- p·ٰ· noun plural supertragedies
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51Թ History and Origins
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51Թ History and Origins
Origin of tragedy1
C14: from Old French ٰé徱 , from Latin tragoedia , from Greek ٰō徱 , from tragos goat + ōŧ song; perhaps a reference to the goat-satyrs of Peloponnesian plays
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Example Sentences
Examples have not been reviewed.
As America’s plague of school shootings continues unabated, a steady stream of movies has cropped up in response to the ongoing tragedy.
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A large-scale map that people could stand in front of and ponder in person, he thought, would help people absorb the tragedy in its totality.
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It is both a tragedy and a scandal.
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Villagers told the BBC they had been "traumatised" by the tragedy, with one saying "everyone is very sad".
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Authorities say they believe the tactic could provide a pathway for holding reckless parents accountable in future tragedies.
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