Tragicomedy
/ˌtrædʒ.ɪˈkɒm.ə.di/noun
A dramatic work that mixes tragic and comic elements.
Did you know?The term became famous in Renaissance drama, where playwrights used it to signal a story that could flirt with death, then dodge it with a joke.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
τραγῳδία (tragōidía)
“a tragedy; literally a goat-song”
Ancient Greek
Greek
κωμῳδία (kōmōidía)
“a comedy; literally a revel-song or village song”
Late Latin / Medieval learned formation
Latin
tragicomedia
“a mixed dramatic form combining tragic and comic elements”
16th Century
Italian/English
tragicomedia / tragicomedy
“a play that blends serious and comic matter, often ending happily despite grave events”
Modern English
English
tragicomedy
“a literary or real-life situation combining tragic and comic features”