traumatic

adjective

trau·​mat·​ic trə-ˈma-tik How to pronounce traumatic (audio)
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 How to pronounce traumatic (audio)
trȯ-
trau̇-
adverb

Examples of traumatic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Despite the traumatic injury, Nonoka was able to swim back to shore with the help of fellow surfers. Tom Howarth follow, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024 Like many other women she's since encountered, Schwartz posted online to share her traumatic experience, asking why women’s pain has been normalized in gynecological procedures to the extent that no anesthetic or laughing gas is offered for relief. Alyssa Goldberg, USA TODAY, 31 Oct. 2024 Post Post Share Save Print Hurricanes Helene and Milton have been traumatic in many ways — the loss of lives, homes, history, and in some cases, hope. Olivia White, kanmani Chockalingam, adi Kumar, daniel Stephens, Harvard Business Review, 30 Oct. 2024 That can guide you on learning new behavior management skills or to heal traumatic patterns from your childhood, explains Miller. Zara Hanawalt, Parents, 24 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for traumatic 

Word History

First Known Use

1650, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of traumatic was in 1650

Dictionary Entries Near traumatic

Cite this Entry

“Traumatic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/traumatic. Accessed 10 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

traumatic

adjective
trau·​mat·​ic trə-ˈmat-ik, trȯ-, trau̇- How to pronounce traumatic (audio)
: of, relating to, resulting from, or causing a trauma
cases of traumatic ruptureThe Journal of the American Medical Association
a traumatic experience
traumatically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on traumatic

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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