Tragedy - English meaning

noun

A difficult or unpleasant situation.

Usage examples:

Resilience in the face of adversity

noun

A difficult or unlucky situation or event

Usage examples:

[ u ] she’s cheerful in the face of adversity.

noun

A cause of pain or harm.

Usage examples:

A crippling affliction of the nervous system

noun

Something that makes you suffer

Usage examples:

Malnutrition is one of the common afflictions of the poor.

noun

A plant disease, typically one caused by fungi such as mildews, rusts, and smuts.

Usage examples:

The vines suffered blight and disease

verb

Have a severely detrimental effect on.

Usage examples:

The scandal blighted the careers of several leading politicians

noun

Something that spoils or destroys or causes damage

Usage examples:

[ u ] the city stopped urban blight by rebuilding neighborhoods., poverty and disease blighted thei…

noun

An event causing great and often sudden damage or distress; a disaster.

Usage examples:

Emergency measures may be necessary in order to avert a calamity

noun

An event that causes much suffering to many people

Usage examples:

The factory closings were a calamity for the whole city.

noun

A serious accident or bad event causing damage or suffering

Usage examples:

A series of calamities ruined them - floods, a failed harvest, and the death of a son.

noun

A large-scale and violent event in the natural world.

Usage examples:

The cataclysm at the end of the cretaceous period

noun

An extremely destructive event or violent change

Usage examples:

Environmental/natural cataclysms, the city has just experienced a cataclysmic flood.

noun

An event that causes a lot of destruction, or a sudden, violent change

noun

An event causing great and usually sudden damage or suffering; a disaster.

Usage examples:

An environmental catastrophe

noun

A sudden event that causes great suffering or destruction

Usage examples:

Losing his job was a financial catastrophe for his family., a chemical plant leak could cause an en…

noun

A sudden event that causes very great trouble or destruction

Usage examples:

They were warned of the ecological catastrophe to come.

noun

Great destruction or damage.

Usage examples:

The floods caused widespread devastation

noun

Damage and destruction

Usage examples:

If disease is allowed to spread, it will cause widespread devastation., the storm left behind it a …

noun

Feeling very shocked or upset

Usage examples:

She had a look of utter devastation on her face.

noun

A sudden accident or a natural catastrophe that causes great damage or loss of life.

Usage examples:

159 people died in the disaster

noun

An event causing great harm, damage, or suffering

Usage examples:

[ c/u ] financial disaster, [ u ] disaster aid/relief, [ c ] over 100 people died in the disaster.,…

noun

A sudden event that causes a lot of damage, such as a very bad fire, storm, or accident

Usage examples:

Insurance companies often charge extra to cover floods, earthquakes, or other natural disasters., m…

noun

A play for theatre, radio, or television.

Usage examples:

A gritty urban drama about growing up in harlem

noun

A play, esp. a serious one, written to be performed by actors, the writing of plays, or the art of showing plays

Usage examples:

[ c ] she’s been in several television dramas., [ u ] arthur miller, a master of drama, wrote “deat…

noun

A type of film or tv programme that tells an exciting and generally serious story, as opposed to one that is mainly intended to be funny or entertaining

Usage examples:

She stars in a new 12-part drama about a woman recently released from prison., who are your favouri…

noun

An instance of being injured.

Usage examples:

She suffered an injury to her back

noun

Physical harm or damage done to a living thing

Usage examples:

[ c ] he was removed from the game with a knee injury., [ u ] they were lucky to escape injury.

noun

Physical harm that is done to someone

Usage examples:

A long period of injury, injury to sb/sth the plaintiff had claimed damages for injury to his healt…

noun

Death caused by a person accidentally while performing a legal act without negligence or intent to harm.

Usage examples:

The coroner recorded a verdict of death by misadventure

noun

Bad luck, or an experience with a bad result

noun

Bad luck.

Usage examples:

The project was dogged by misfortune

noun

Bad luck, or an unlucky event

Usage examples:

[ c ] never take delight in someone’s personal misfortunes., [ u ] the school nurse was as mean a l…

noun

An unlucky accident.

Usage examples:

Although there were a few minor mishaps, none of the pancakes stuck to the ceiling

noun

An accident or unlucky event

Usage examples:

[ u ] the parade took place without mishap.

verb

Engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose.

Usage examples:

The children were playing by a pool

noun

Activity engaged in for enjoyment and recreation, especially by children.

Usage examples:

A child at play may use a stick as an aeroplane

verb

Engage in recreational activities rather than work

verb

Move backwards.

Usage examples:

The lorry reversed into the back of a bus

adjective

Going in or turned towards the direction opposite to that previously stated.

Usage examples:

The trend appears to be going in the reverse direction

noun

A complete change of direction or action.

Usage examples:

The gall actuates a reverse of photosynthesis

noun

A reversal or check in progress.

Usage examples:

A serious setback for the peace process

noun

Something that causes delay or stops progress

Usage examples:

Democrats suffered a serious setback in yesterday’s election, losing all three contested seats.

noun

Something that happens that causes a delay or prevents a process from continuing

Usage examples:

He suffered a setback yesterday in his attempts to take a stake in the mobile phone company., a set…

noun

A formal examination of evidence by a judge, typically before a jury, in order to decide guilt in a case of criminal or civil proceedings.

Usage examples:

The newspaper accounts of the trial

verb

Test (something, especially a new product) to assess its suitability or performance.

Usage examples:

Teachers all over the uk are trialling the materials

noun

The examination in a court of law of the facts of a case to decide whether a person is guilty of a crime or responsible for an injury to another person

Usage examples:

[ c ] a criminal/civil trial, [ u ] the case will soon go to trial (= begin)., [ u ] she must still…

noun

A cause of great trouble or suffering.

Usage examples:

The tribulations of being a megastar

noun

A change of circumstances or fortune, typically one that is unwelcome or unpleasant.

Usage examples:

Her husband's sharp vicissitudes of fortune