tragedy

tragedy — noun

1. An event or situation that causes great sadness, often because it involves death

1.名詞B2
釋義

An event or situation that causes great sadness, often because it involves death, serious injury, or the destruction of something valuable to many people.

例句

The fire at Greenhill School was a terrible tragedy that left dozens of families grieving.

countable: a tragedy that + clause

When the earthquake hit, the small fishing village became a scene of tragedy.

uncountable: a scene of tragedy

同義詞
  • disaster

    More general; a disaster can cause damage without the emotional weight of a tragedy.

  • catastrophe

    Stronger in scale, suggesting wide-ranging destruction; less personal than tragedy.

  • calamity

    More formal and dramatic; often used in literary or historical contexts.

反義詞
  • miracle

    A wonderful event that brings joy, the opposite of a sad or disastrous event.

  • blessing

    Something good and fortunate, contrasting with a tragic misfortune.

文法句型

a tragedy that + clause

a tragedy for + noun phrase

end in tragedy

tragedy strikes + noun phrase

用法筆記

Frequently combines with words like 'terrible', 'great', 'personal', 'human', and 'national' to describe the scale or type of sad event. The uncountable form (e.g. 'a day of tragedy') refers to the general state or atmosphere of sadness rather than one specific event.

常見錯誤

❌I missed the bus — what a tragedy!
✅I missed the bus
💡what a nuisance!' — 'tragedy' describes serious suffering or death, not everyday minor problems.
❌The car crash was a tragedy but nobody was hurt.
✅The car crash was a scary accident but fortunately nobody was hurt.
💡a tragedy involves death or serious suffering, not just any crash.

2. A play or story that finishes in sorrow, where the central figure suffers intens

2.名詞B2
釋義

A play or story that finishes in sorrow, where the central figure suffers intensely or dies — typically from a personal flaw or an unstoppable outside force. The word also refers to this entire dramatic genre.

例句

Shakespeare's 'Hamlet' is probably the best-known tragedy in the English language.

Mizuki prefers reading tragedies to comedies because they explore deeper questions about life.

comparison: tragedies vs comedies

反義詞
  • comedy

    A light-hearted play with a happy ending; the traditional opposite of tragedy in dramatic genres.

文法句型

a tragedy by + author

Greek tragedy / Shakespearean tragedy

write / perform / study a tragedy

a tragedy about + topic

用法筆記

As a countable noun, it refers to an individual play (e.g. 'a tragedy by Sophocles'). As an uncountable noun, it refers to the entire dramatic genre (e.g. 'Greek tragedy is known for its emotional power'). The most famous traditions are Ancient Greek tragedy (e.g. Sophocles, Euripides) and Shakespearean tragedy (e.g. Hamlet, Macbeth).

常見錯誤

❌That movie had a sad ending, so it is a tragedy.
✅That movie had a sad ending, but it is a drama, not a tragedy.
💡in literary terms, a tragedy follows a specific structure; not every sad story qualifies.
❌Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy because they die at the end.
✅Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy because the characters' own choices and circumstances lead unavoidably to their deaths.
💡death alone does not make a tragedy; the cause and structure matter.