tragedy

B1 Topic:Literature & Storytelling

US /ˈtɹæd͡ʒɛdi/ See IPA manual

Freq #3565

Meanings

1

noun
A very sad event, especially one involving death or great loss.

The plane crash was a terrible tragedy.
2

noun
A serious play or story with a sad ending, often ending in the main character's downfall.

"Hamlet" is one of Shakespeare's most famous tragedies.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a very sad event,... disaster

Word family

Forms tragedies

Related forms tragedeightragedian tragictragicomedytragifarce

Appears in

Phrases (1)

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greek tragedy
a tragic dramatic work belonging to the ancient Greek theatrical tradition

Adjective + noun

Proverbs (2)

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Etymology

From the Middle English tragedie, from the Old French tragedie, from the Latin tragoedia, from the Ancient Greek τραγῳδία (tragōidía, “epic play, tragedy”), from τράγος (trágos, “male goat”) + ᾠδή (ōidḗ, “song”), possibly a reference to the goat-satyrs of the theatrical plays of the Dorians, or according to Beekes possibly to a goat given as prize, though the etymology remains uncertain.

*terh₁- Proto-Indo-European tragedie Middle English tragoedia Latin τραγῳδία Ancient Greek

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Literature & Storytelling Theater & Performance General Vocabulary

External links

# tragedy

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈtɹæd͡ʒɛdi/
**Frequency rank:** 3565

## Meanings
1. A very sad event, especially one involving death or great loss.
2. A serious play or story with a sad ending, often ending in the main character's downfall.

## Examples
- The plane crash was a terrible tragedy.
- "Hamlet" is one of Shakespeare's most famous tragedies.

## Related Forms
- tragedeigh
- tragedian
- tragic
- tragicomedy
- tragifarce

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *terh₁-
- Root: tragedie
- Root: tragoedia
- Root: τραγῳδία

## Etymology
From the Middle English tragedie, from the Old French tragedie, from the Latin tragoedia, from the Ancient Greek τραγῳδία (tragōidía, “epic play, tragedy”), from τράγος (trágos, “male goat”) + ᾠδή (ōidḗ, “song”), possibly a reference to the goat-satyrs of the theatrical plays of the Dorians, or according to Beekes possibly to a goat given as prize, though the etymology remains uncertain.

## AI Etymology
Tragedy is from the Middle English tragedie, from the Old French tragedie, from the Latin tragoedia, from the Ancient Greek τραγῳδία (tragōidía, “epic play, tragedy”), from τράγος (trágos, “male goat”) + ᾠδή (ōidḗ, “song”), possibly a reference to the goat-satyrs of the theatrical plays of the Dorians, or according to Beekes possibly to a goat given as prize, though the etymology remains uncertain. In present-day use, it can mean a very sad event, especially one involving death or great loss, or a serious play or story with a sad ending, often ending in the main character's downfall.

## Topics
- Literature & Storytelling
- Theater & Performance
- General Vocabulary

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