The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word TRAGEDIES
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
T
R
A
G
E
D
I
E
S
More clues leading to the result TRAGEDIES
- Tory leader’s fury fades after misfortunes
- Sadly it’s agreed they’re awfully sad
- Great side involved in terrible events
- ‘Hamlet’ and ‘King Lear’ perhaps flipped in relationships
- Fumed during links for Hamlet and Othello, perhaps
- Hears about ancient disasters
- Attempts to restrict old plays of a certain type
- Adversities resulting from couples having blown a fuse
- Shows anger wanes after time
- Essays about old, woeful plays
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "they’re awfully sad" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case they’re awfully sad = tragedies.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does TRAGEDIES mean?
TRAGEDIES noun- A drama or similar work, in which the main character is brought to ruin or otherwise suffers the extreme consequences of some tragic flaw or weakness of character.
- The genre of such works, and the art of producing them.
- A disastrous event, especially one involving great loss of life or injury.