traumatic
adjective
trau·mat·ic
trə-ˈma-tik 
trȯ-,
trau̇-
1
: psychologically or emotionally stressful in a way that can lead to serious mental and emotional problems
The report … revealed that the onset of bulimic behavior tends to be associated with voluntary dieting and with traumatic events such as the loss of a loved one.—
Ralph Heussner
Ralph HeussnerHe's been open and frank about his traumatic childhood scarred by violence and domestic abuse.—Stephen Milton
Stephen Milton
broadly
: causing distress or anxiety
The traumatic experience of the Wall Street crash and the long depression of the 1930s has gradually faded from memory … —Jack Revell
Jack Revell The arrival of mass tourism in a previously unspoilt area … was certainly traumatic. —Graham Robb
Graham Robb 2
medical
: relating to, being, or caused by a sudden, severe, often life-threatening injury to the body
… the lone medical centers in the Triad to treat victims of traumatic injuries such as life-threatening car wrecks or shootings.—Pat Kimbrough
Pat KimbroughThree years ago, she was in a traumatic car crash that shattered her pelvis, and caused numerous other injuries.—Brad Gillman
Brad GillmanThere have been reports of shrapnel causing a traumatic fistula between the right coronary artery and the right atrium.—Matthias Eikermann et al.
Matthias Eikermann et al.
also
: involving or causing tissue damage or physical stress
The artery-dilating procedure, which uses a balloon or other device guided to the restricted artery by a cardiac catheter, is less invasive and traumatic than coronary artery bypass surgery. —Andrew Skolnick
Andrew Skolnick Open-heart surgery has become all but routine in recent years, although still physically traumatic. —Ralph T. King, Jr.
see also chronic traumatic encephalopathy, post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury
Ralph T. King, Jr. Examples of traumatic in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Bernthal and Affleck reprise their roles as the estranged siblings whose traumatic childhood somehow led them into adjacent lines of business.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Mar. 2025
Though Ascher treats this as a happy ending, his real intent throughout the film seems to be focused on putting us through the traumatic saga Pistorius underwent throughout much of his formative years.
—Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 8 Mar. 2025
Yoon’s martial law decree, which involved the dispatch of troops and police forces to the National Assembly, evoked traumatic memories of past military governments among many South Koreans.
—Hyung-Jin Kim, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2025
Rohit’s reflexes are not as sharp and his cameos at the top are getting shorter after a traumatic time in the red-ball game.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
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Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Mar. 2025
Though Ascher treats this as a happy ending, his real intent throughout the film seems to be focused on putting us through the traumatic saga Pistorius underwent throughout much of his formative years.
—Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 8 Mar. 2025
Yoon’s martial law decree, which involved the dispatch of troops and police forces to the National Assembly, evoked traumatic memories of past military governments among many South Koreans.
—Hyung-Jin Kim, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2025
Rohit’s reflexes are not as sharp and his cameos at the top are getting shorter after a traumatic time in the red-ball game.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for traumatic
Cite this Entry
“Traumatic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/traumatic. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
traumatic
adjective
trau·mat·ic
trə-ˈmat-ik, trȯ-, trau̇-
: of, relating to, resulting from, or causing a trauma
cases of traumatic rupture—The Journal of the American Medical Association
The Journal of the American Medical Associationa traumatic experience
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