51Թ

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tragedy

[traj-i-dee]

noun

plural

tragedies 
  1. a lamentable, dreadful, or fatal event or affair; calamity; disaster.

    stunned by the tragedy of so many deaths.

  2. 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.

  3. the branch of the drama that is concerned with this form of composition.

  4. the art and theory of writing and producing tragedies.

  5. any literary composition, as a novel, dealing with a somber theme carried to a tragic or disastrous conclusion.

  6. the tragic or mournful or calamitous element of drama, of literature generally, or of life.



tragedy

/ ˈٰæɪɪ /

noun

  1. (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

  2. (in later drama, such as that of Ibsen) a play in which the protagonist is overcome by a combination of social and psychological circumstances

  3. any dramatic or literary composition dealing with serious or sombre themes and ending with disaster

  4. (in medieval literature) a literary work in which a great person falls from prosperity to disaster, often through no fault of his own

  5. the branch of drama dealing with such themes

  6. the unfortunate aspect of something

  7. a shocking or sad event; disaster

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

tragedy

  1. 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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In common usage, disasters of many kinds are called tragedies.
Aristotle argued that the proper effect of tragedy is catharsis — the purging of the emotions.
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Other 51Թ Forms

  • nontragedy noun
  • protragedy adjective
  • supertragedy noun
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of tragedy1

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English tragedie, from Medieval Latin ٰŧ徱, Latin tragoedia, from Greek ٰōí, from ٰá(Dz) “goat” + ō(ḗ) “song” ( ode ) + -ia -y 3; reason for name variously explained
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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.

The Leicester temple held a hymn festival to pray for all victims and come to terms with the tragedy.

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But between the college and hospital - in the vast expanse of this city of more than seven million people - there are many others who also are reeling from the tragedy.

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The Met Police investigation into what led to the "avoidable" tragedy in 2017 which claimed the lives of 72 people – 18 of whom were children - is still ongoing .

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After the Christchurch tragedies, twin shootings that took 51 lives, she showed the most heartfelt empathy, then knuckled down and got assault weapons off the streets.

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Just across the city, another tragedy is still unfolding - this one at the very site where the plane went down.

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