traumatic
Americanadjective
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of, relating to, or produced by a trauma or wound.
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adapted to the cure of wounds.
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psychologically painful.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of traumatic
First recorded in 1650–60; from Late Latin traumaticus, from Greek traumatikós “pertaining to wounds,” from traumat- (stem of traûma trauma ) + -ikos -ic
Explanation
Something is traumatic if it's very upsetting, painful, or disturbing. The word is related to a Greek word meaning "wound," so you can think of traumatic as something involving a wound, either physical or mental. Your brother's reckless driving could make getting to school a traumatic experience in terms of your mental health. Traumatic can also describe a major physical injury, such as a traumatic brain injury. Post-traumatic stress disorder is a medical term used to describe the lasting and debilitating effects of something awful you've experienced, such as witnessing a disaster or suffering a major injury during combat.
Vocabulary lists containing traumatic
Vocabulary from "Stop Expecting Games to Build Empathy" by Julie Muncy
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Game Changer
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Tears of a Tiger
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Ronald Levant, author of “The Problem with Men: Insights on Overcoming a Traumatic Childhood from a World-Renowned Psychologist,” has found men’s groups especially useful in engaging men who foot-drag their way to therapy.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026
Levin founded a company called Traumatic Grief Solutions that works with schools and businesses to prepare for the long-term impact of the L.A.-area fires.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2025
Traumatic scenarios like this one are inflicted on some 3.5 million children in the U.S. each year by child protective services, as reported by ProPublica and NBC News in a 2022 investigation.
From Salon • Nov. 2, 2024
"Traumatic, super-hot and overcrowded" are just some of the words mums used to describe their experience at "inadequate" maternity hospitals.
From BBC • Sep. 6, 2024
Traumatic and infected cases are attributable to accidents, the presence of foreign bodies, operations, &c.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 1 "Evangelical Church Conference" to "Fairbairn, Sir William" by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
