In a way that is very sad, sorrowful, or involves great suffering and loss, especially in a way that seems unfair or avoidable.
From 'tragic' (involving tragedy or extreme sorrow), from Greek 'tragikos,' possibly from 'tragos' (goat) and 'ode' (song), as ancient Greek tragedies may have involved satyrs.
The connection between 'tragic' and 'goat-song' in Ancient Greece is mysterious—it might mean songs where actors wore goat-skin costumes, or it's a corruption of an older word, but the true etymology remains one of linguistics' great unsolved riddles.
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