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

He's been open and frank about his traumatic childhood scarred by violence and domestic abuse.

—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

The arrival of mass tourism in a previously unspoilt area … was certainly traumatic.

—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

Three years ago, she was in a traumatic car crash that shattered her pelvis, and caused numerous other injuries.

—Brad Gillman

There have been reports of shrapnel causing a traumatic fistula between the right coronary artery and the right atrium.

—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

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

traumatically

trə-ˈma-ti-k(ə-)lē 

trȯ-

trau̇-

adverb

Examples of traumatic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The girl had traumatic injuries and investigators determined her manner of death to be homicide, deputies said. —Paloma Chavez, Sacramento Bee, 4 Apr. 2024

White also had been diagnosed with conversion reaction, a mental health disorder that, in her case, caused paralysis and is often triggered by a traumatic event such as a history of childhood abuse. —Kristine Phillips, The Indianapolis Star, 3 Apr. 2024

Aid workers have documented an increase in deep head gashes, and local neurosurgeons have reported a rise in traumatic injuries. —Emily Baumgaertner, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2024

A day after announcing Flaco’s death, the Wildlife Conservation Society said in a statement that Flaco had suffered traumatic injuries to his chest and back. —Kyle Melnick, Washington Post, 27 Mar. 2024

Deputies arrived around 1:30 p.m. to find the 18-year-old with traumatic injuries to his face and began to administer aid. —Stephen Sorace, Fox News, 24 Mar. 2024

Now the presumptive Democratic and Republican nominees are hurtling toward a rematch in which the virus for most Americans is but a traumatic memory, markets are up and unemployment is at or near record lows. —Zeke Miller, Fortune, 22 Mar. 2024

During that traumatic period, Shurrab turned to journaling to process her emotions. —Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 15 Mar. 2024

Shi’s lawyers have contended that their client was suffering from a schizoaffective disorder and post traumatic stress brought on by the divorce paperwork. —Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1650, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing traumatic

• chronic traumatic encephalopathy
• post-traumatic
• post-traumatic stress disorder
• traumatic brain injury

Medical Definition

traumatic

adjective

trau·​mat·​ic trə-ˈmat-ik, trȯ-, trau̇- 

: of, relating to, resulting from, or causing a trauma

cases of traumatic rupture

—Journal of the American Medical Association

a traumatic experience

traumatically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb