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Tragic vs Misfortune - What's the difference?

tragic | misfortune |

As nouns the difference between tragic and misfortune

is that tragic is (obsolete) a writer of tragedy while misfortune is (uncountable) bad luck.

As an adjective tragic

is causing great sadness or suffering.

tragic

English

Alternative forms

* tragick (obsolete)

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Causing great sadness or suffering.
  • * {{quote-magazine, year=2012, month=March-April
  • , author=(Jan Sapp) , title=Race Finished , volume=100, issue=2, page=164 , magazine=(American Scientist) citation , passage=Few concepts are as emotionally charged as that of race. The word conjures up a mixture of associations—culture, ethnicity, genetics, subjugation, exclusion and persecution. But is the tragic history of efforts to define groups of people by race really a matter of the misuse of science, the abuse of a valid biological concept?}}
  • Relating to tragedy in a literary work.
  • (in tabloid newspapers) Involved in a tragedy.
  • * 2008', ''Search for '''tragic Madeleine McCann over'' (in ''The Daily Telegraph of Australia, 14 February 2008) [http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/search-for-maddie-over/story-e6freuy9-1111115550129]
  • * 2012', Gary Meneely, ''Keano’s tribute to '''tragic James'' (in ''The Irish Sun , 25 June 2012) [http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/irishsun/irishsunnews/4392499/Keanos-tribute-to-tragic-James.html]
  • Derived terms

    * tragic flaw

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (obsolete) A writer of tragedy.
  • (obsolete) A tragedy; a tragic drama.
  • (Webster 1913)

    misfortune

    English

    Noun

  • (uncountable) bad luck
  • * 2012 , July 15. Richard Williams in Guardian Unlimited, Tour de France 2012: Carpet tacks cannot force Bradley Wiggins off track
  • Cycling's complex etiquette contains an unwritten rule that riders in contention for a race win should not be penalised for sheer misfortune .
    The worst tour I have ever had the misfortune to experience.
    It was my fortune, or misfortune , to be called to the office of Chief Executive without any previous political training. - Ulysses S. Grant
  • (countable) an undesirable event such as an accident
  • * 1839 , Charles Robert Darwin, The Voyage of the Beagle. , Chapter X
  • The snowstorm, which was the cause of their misfortune , happened in the middle of January, corresponding to our July, and in the latitude of Durham!
    She had to come to terms with a number of misfortunes .