tragic

/ˈtrædʒɪk/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈtrædʒɪk/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈtra-jik/ (ame, mw)

tragic — adjective

  • tragicpositive
  • more tragiccomparative
  • most tragicsuperlative

1. describes an event, situation, or outcome that causes great sadness, especially

1.形容詞B1
釋義

describes an event, situation, or outcome that causes great sadness, especially because it involves death, serious injury, or permanent loss that cannot be reversed.

例句

Manuela's family received the tragic news about the earthquake this morning.

collocation: tragic news

A tragic accident on the highway killed three young drivers yesterday evening.

collocation: tragic accident

同義詞
  • heartbreaking

    More personal and emotional; focuses on sadness rather than death or destruction

  • devastating

    Stronger than tragic; emphasizes destruction and shock alongside sadness

  • dreadful

    Broader and less specific; can describe any unpleasant situation without implying death

反義詞
  • fortunate

    Opposite outcome — good luck instead of disaster

  • happy

    Opposite feeling — joyful instead of sorrowful

文法句型

tragic + noun (accident, death, loss, event)

be + tragic

用法筆記

Commonly used with nouns that describe negative events: accident, death, loss, fire, disaster, outcome. Avoid using this word for minor everyday disappointments — tragic implies serious suffering or loss that cannot be undone.

常見錯誤

❌I had a tragic day at work.
✅I had a terrible day at work.
💡Tragic describes events involving death or serious suffering, not routine bad experiences.

2. relating to the literary genre of tragedy — stories about serious human sufferin

2.形容詞C1
釋義

relating to the literary genre of tragedy — stories about serious human suffering, moral struggles, and unhappy endings — rather than to real events or personal feelings.

例句

Shakespeare's tragic hero Hamlet struggles with his own doubts and fears.

collocation: tragic hero

In this story, the classic tragic structure shows the hero's slow decline into ruin.

collocation: tragic structure

同義詞
  • dramatic

    Broader term; describes any work of drama, not only tragedy

  • solemn

    Focuses on serious tone rather than the specific structure of a tragedy

文法句型

tragic + noun (hero, flaw, drama, structure, form)

用法筆記

Restricted to literary and theatrical contexts. Use this sense only when discussing works of tragedy or their elements (hero, structure, form, flaw, drama), not for real-world events. For real-life sadness, use sense 1 (VERY SAD).

常見錯誤

❌The movie had a tragic ending where the couple broke up.
✅The movie had a tragic ending where the main character died.
💡In literary contexts, tragic implies the seriousness and finality of the tragedy genre, not just any unhappy outcome.