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Comment by richieartoul | Hacker News Reader

Is there a word for things that are both hilarious and tragic? I laughed out loud multiple times. Kudos to the author for making such a depressing topic so hysterical.

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> Is there a word for things that are both hilarious and tragic?

Yes, tragicomic.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tragicomic

There’s a song for that, too. Tragic Comic by Extreme. https://youtu.be/_44jokODfzM

I've never heard that word, perhaps it's more of an American expression? In the UK we'd probably say bittersweet.

Tragicomic is used often in Swedish (Tragikomiskt). There is a nuance difference between tragicomic and bittersweet. Bittersweet is when you daughter moves out to her own place,it's sad that your kid grew up but also great, it's bittersweet but not tragicomic. Tragicomic is when something is so screwed up that the only thing you can do is laugh at it.

Right. Bittersweet is about something that affects you personally, some experience that blends joy and sadness. Tragicomic is about some external going-on that you observe and react to like an audience member.

There's also the laugh-cry emoji, which can be used for both situations, I think.

There is no laughing and crying emoji: there are two emojis about laughing so hard that tears come out of your eyes (no sadness implied).

For bittersweet, there's one about smiling with a tear.

For tragicomic, I don't know. It's not a feeling. Maybe the upside-down smiley or the smile with sweatdrop?

Exactly this, well put.

It's used a lot in French

> tragicomic - of, relating to, or resembling tragicomedy

——

I hate it when i see such useless explanations

I’m referring to the second definition

> manifesting both tragic and comic aspects

Yes, i understand, just pointing out how useless the first one is.

I think it's so they can have one main definition for each base word and then derivatives just link to that

its funny how at the highest levels and in assorted ways the world is completely bonkers.

I thought only of hilarious when I read it. Not so much tragic.

might not be exactly what you're thinking, but schadenfreude

How tragicomic of you to say that ;-)

the correct German word that applies here is Galgenhumor :)

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