traumatic
Americanadjective
-
of, relating to, or produced by a trauma or wound.
-
adapted to the cure of wounds.
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Game Changer
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Tears of a Tiger
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Musk’s forthright, crusty dad Errol sounds almost proud that something was bullied out of his son, but the movie avoids filling out that traumatic childhood.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
“When I realized intelligence can be simulated, I let the idea of our uniqueness go, and it wasn’t as traumatic as I thought.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
The successful results in human tissue strengthen the case for further investigation and could eventually lead to clinical trials in people with neurodegenerative diseases or traumatic brain injury.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 7, 2026
"Finding out what happened was incredibly traumatic both for us and the other families," they told BBC Radio Scotland's Mornings programme.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
But people don’t always recall the same details from traumatic situations.
From "How Dare the Sun Rise" by Sandra Uwiringiyimana
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.
