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

Grace is one of hundreds of juveniles with traumatic experiences in Tarrant County who come in contact with juvenile justice services every year. —Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Apr. 2024

If it’s just meant to be one chapter in the middle of many others, then perhaps a less traumatic conflict was called for. —Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 2024

But the hospital was also seeing more koalas with traumatic injuries, including those caused by cars and dogs. —Emily Anthes Chang W. Lee, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2024

Red must team up with Cinderella’s perfectionist daughter Chloe (Malia Baker) and travel back in time to try to undo the traumatic event that set Red’s mother down her villainous path. —Rivea Ruff, Essence, 9 Apr. 2024

The polar opposites are forced to work together when the tyrannical Queen of Hearts incites a coup against Auradon, and Red and Chloe travel back in time to undo the traumatic event that set Red’s mother down her villainous path. —Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 2 Apr. 2024

As for the shocking deaths of both John B (Stokes) and Sarah Cameron’s (Madelyn Cline) fathers at the end of season 3, the actor teases that the onscreen couple will continue to deal with the ramifications of those traumatic events. —Kelsie Gibson, Peoplemag, 1 Apr. 2024

Studies have shown that THC, one of the main cannabinoids found in cannabis, can significantly reduce rates of anxiety and traumatic memories related to trauma and PTSD by reducing activity in the amygdala and reduces cognitive distractions by inhibiting activity in the prefrontal cortex. —Sarah Sinclair, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024

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