tragedy

Other spellings

• (old, no longer used) tragœdy

Pronunciation

• IPA ^(key): /ˈtrædʒɪdi/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: trag‧e‧dy

Noun

Singular tragedy

Plural tragedies

A tragedy is usually an accident in a large scale, like this forest fire can be considered a tragedy since many people are affected.

1. (countable) A tragedy is a disaster that usually involves someone getting injured or dying and can affect the lives of many others.

   The 9/11 attacks was a tragedy in the history of United States.

2. (countable) A tragedy is play or written work in which the main character is destroyed by his own weakness or things that he can not deal with.
   • Antonym: comedy

   In Shakepeare's tragedy Macbeth, Macbeth is destroyed by his own ambition and greed.

Related words

• tragic