tragicomic

adjective

tragi·​com·​ic ˌtra-ji-ˈkä-mik How to pronounce tragicomic (audio)
variants or less commonly tragicomical
ˌtra-ji-ˈkä-mi-kəl How to pronounce tragicomic (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or resembling tragicomedy
2
: manifesting both tragic and comic aspects

Examples of tragicomic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Assassination-for-hire is the tragicomic domain of people looking for someone to kill a spouse or a rival but getting blackmailed by teenagers pretending to be hit men in the process. — Finn Brunton, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026 Her tragicomic shopgirl of skid row belted her way into audiences’ hearts off-Broadway in 1982, and then in Frank Oz’s 1986 film opposite Rick Moranis. — ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026 For these two men are one and the same within Schnabel’s tragicomic universe. — A.d. Amorosi, SPIN, 6 Aug. 2026 Less deeply, English football’s song of choice is ‘Football’s Coming Home’, a tragicomic ode to the national team’s failings at major tournaments for the past 60 years. — George Edwards, New York Times, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for tragicomic

Word History

First Known Use

1567, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tragicomic was in 1567

Rhymes for tragicomic

See All Rhymes for tragicomic

Browse Nearby Words

tragicomedy
tragicomic
tragopan
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tragicomic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tragicomic. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

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