Word
tragically
Phoneticstrag·i·cal·ly
US/ˈtɹædʒɪkɫi/
UK/tɹˈædʒɪkli/
Definition
adv. in a way that is very sad and usually involves death or serious loss. You use it to show that something is a terrible shame.
adv. in a manner that causes or involves great sadness, suffering, or death. Often functions as a disjunct to express the speaker's attitude toward the event being described.
Examples
“Tragically, the young artist died before her first exhibition.”
“The historic library was tragically destroyed in a fire just weeks before its grand reopening.”
“The peace treaty was tragically ignored by both sides, leading to a decade of unnecessary conflict that devastated the region's economy and displaced thousands of families.”
Examples
simple
“Tragically, the young artist died before her first exhibition.”
contextual
“The historic library was tragically destroyed in a fire just weeks before its grand reopening.”
complex
“The peace treaty was tragically ignored by both sides, leading to a decade of unnecessary conflict that devastated the region's economy and displaced thousands of families.”
Usage
Sentence adverb — typically placed at the beginning of a sentence to set the tone for the entire statement.
Pitfall
The accident happened tragic.
The accident happened tragically.
Learners often use the adjective 'tragic' when the adverb 'tragically' is required to modify the verb or the entire sentence.
Real-World Examples
“The intelligence was there, yet tragically, nobody joined up the dots in time.” “That softer feeling in the original title is a key part of the film’s identity, which includes sentimental flashbacks to the childhoods of various characters whose lives have taken tragically different paths.” Word family
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/tragically