Definitions for tragedy
ˈtrædʒ ɪ ditragedy

Princeton's WordNet(2.67 / 3 votes)Rate this definition:

1. calamity, catastrophe, disaster, tragedy, cataclysmnoun

   an event resulting in great loss and misfortune

   "the whole city was affected by the irremediable calamity"; "the earthquake was a disaster"

2. tragedynoun

   drama in which the protagonist is overcome by some superior force or circumstance; excites terror or pity

Wiktionary(3.75 / 4 votes)Rate this definition:

1. tragedynoun

   A drama or similar work, in which the main character is brought to ruin or otherwise suffers the extreme consequences of some tragic flaw or weakness of character.

2. tragedynoun

   The genre of such works, and the art of producing them.

3. tragedynoun

   A disastrous event, especially one involving great loss of life or injury.

4. Etymology: From the tragedie, from the tragedie, from the tragoedia, from the, from + ᾠδή, a reference to the goat-satyrs of the theatrical plays of the Dorians.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. TRAGEDYnoun

   Etymology: tragedie, Fr. tragœdia, Lat.

   1. A dramatick representation of a serious action.

   Thousands more, that yet suspect no peril,
   Will now conclude their plotted tragedy. William Shakespeare.

   All our tragedies are of kings and princes; but you never see a poor man have a part unless it be as a chorus, or to fill up the scenes, to dance, or to be derided. Jeremy Taylor, holy living.

   Imitate the sister of painting, tragedy; which employs the whole forces of her art in the main action. Dryden.

   An anthem to their god Dionysus, whilst the goat stood at his altar to be sacrificed, was called the goat-song or tragedy. Thomas Rymer, Tragedies of the last Age.

   There to her heart sad tragedy addrest
   The dagger, wont to pierce the tyrant’s breast. Alexander Pope.

   2. Any mournful or dreadful event.

   I shall laugh at this,
   That they, who brought me in my master’s hate,
   I live to look upon their tragedy. William Shakespeare, Rich. III.

   I look upon this now done in England as another act of the same tragedy which was lately begun in Scotland. Charles I .

Webster Dictionary(3.50 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Tragedynoun

   a dramatic poem, composed in elevated style, representing a signal action performed by some person or persons, and having a fatal issue; that species of drama which represents the sad or terrible phases of character and life

2. Tragedynoun

   a fatal and mournful event; any event in which human lives are lost by human violence, more especially by unauthorized violence

Freebase(4.67 / 3 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Tragedy

   Tragedy is a form of drama based on human suffering that invokes in its audience an accompanying catharsis or pleasure in the viewing. While many cultures have developed forms that provoke this paradoxical response, the term tragedy often refers to a specific tradition of drama that has played a unique and important role historically in the self-definition of Western civilization. That tradition has been multiple and discontinuous, yet the term has often been used to invoke a powerful effect of cultural identity and historical continuity—"the Greeks and the Elizabethans, in one cultural form; Hellenes and Christians, in a common activity," as Raymond Williams puts it. From its obscure origins in the theatre of ancient Greece 2,500 years ago, from which there survives only a fraction of the work of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, through its singular articulations in the works of Shakespeare, Lope de Vega, Racine, and Schiller, to the more recent naturalistic tragedy of Strindberg, Beckett's modernist meditations on death, loss and suffering, and Müller's postmodernist reworkings of the tragic canon, tragedy has remained an important site of cultural experimentation, negotiation, struggle, and change. A long line of philosophers—which includes Plato, Aristotle, Saint Augustine, Voltaire, Hume, Diderot, Hegel, Schopenhauer, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Freud, Benjamin, Camus, Lacan, and Deleuze—have analysed, speculated upon, and criticised the tragic form.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Tragedy

   traj′e-di, n. a species of drama in which the action and language are elevated, and the catastrophe sad: any mournful and dreadful event.—n. Tragē′dian, an actor of tragedy:—fem. Tragē′dienne.—adjs. Trag′ic, -al, pertaining to tragedy: sorrowful: calamitous.—adv. Trag′ically.—ns. Trag′icalness; Trag′i-com′edy, a dramatic piece in which grave and comic scenes are blended.—adjs. Trag′i-com′ic, -al.—adv. Trag′i-com′ically. [Lit. 'goat-song,' so called either from the old dramas being exhibited when a goat was sacrificed, or from a goat being the prize, or because the actors were dressed in goat-skins—L. tragœdia—Gr. tragōdia—tragos, a he-goat, aoidos, ōdos, a singer—aeidein, adein, to sing.]

Suggested Resources(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. tragedy

   Song lyrics by tragedy -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by tragedy on the Lyrics.com website.

Matched Categories

1. • Drama

British National Corpus

1. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'tragedy' in Nouns Frequency: #1842

Anagrams for tragedy »

1. gyrated

How to pronounce tragedy?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say tragedy in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of tragedy in Chaldean Numerology is: 2

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of tragedy in Pythagorean Numerology is: 8

Examples of tragedy in a Sentence

1. Jeff Knox:

   At an absolute worst-case scenario, all this means is the NRA can't spend money like they did last time, i don't think it's the tragedy that the Democrats are hoping for.

2. Jeb Bush:

   The tragedy of this though is that there isn't going to be a wall built. And Mexico's not going to pay for it. And there's not going to be a ban on Muslims. None of that is, this was all, like, a alternative universe that he created.

3. Chris Sonderby:

   We remain shocked and saddened by this tragedy and are committed to working with leaders in New Zealand, other governments, and across the technology industry to help counter hate speech and the threat of terrorism, we continue to work around the clock to prevent this content from appearing on our site, using a combination of technology and people.

4. Sheriff Benny House:

   It's just a tragedy, it was the perfect storm for this family. They started off the trek with two 20-ounce bottles of water. When we got there, there was no water left in the bottles.

5. Manzanar Superintendent Bernadette Johnson:

   We have always wanted to respect his family's privacy for the tragedy they endured near the end of their three-year incarceration, being so close to leaving camp.

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