as in horrible
causing great and lasting pain or distress
The family struggled to cope with the traumatic experience of losing their home.
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Recent Examples of traumatic
There is a mother and a father, as well as siblings, who also share in this traumatic loss.
—
Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Aug. 2025
Having a mishap on a bike, e-bike, or scooter
Two-wheeled vehicles are behind a wide swath of ER admissions, ranging from serious scrapes and fractures to concussions and other traumatic head injuries.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 5 Aug. 2025
And when Armstrong candidly opened up about a traumatic moment from her childhood on social media, she was overwhelmed by the response.
—Luke Chinman, People.com, 1 Aug. 2025
But after their mother -- who had been struggling with post traumatic stress disorder -- was placed in a mental institution shortly after Griffin's birth, their father was not able to take care of the children on his own.
—Megan Forrester, ABC News, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for traumatic
Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Aug. 2025
Having a mishap on a bike, e-bike, or scooter
Two-wheeled vehicles are behind a wide swath of ER admissions, ranging from serious scrapes and fractures to concussions and other traumatic head injuries.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 5 Aug. 2025
And when Armstrong candidly opened up about a traumatic moment from her childhood on social media, she was overwhelmed by the response.
—Luke Chinman, People.com, 1 Aug. 2025
But after their mother -- who had been struggling with post traumatic stress disorder -- was placed in a mental institution shortly after Griffin's birth, their father was not able to take care of the children on his own.
—Megan Forrester, ABC News, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for traumatic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for traumatic
Adjective
-
This was the definition of a symbolic move, in large part due to frustration over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's stewardship of the war in Gaza as well as the horrible images depicting starvation that are streaming out of the enclave.—
Zoltan Istvan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Aug. 2025
-
Soroka is a combined 3-18 with a 4.81 ERA the last two seasons with the White Sox and Nationals, two horrible teams.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Once tooth enamel is lost, the tooth nerves are exposed, which is painful and makes the teeth sensitive.—
Thomas Westerholm,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Aug. 2025
-
Although the condition itself isn’t typically painful, raw or blistered skin can lead to pain and swelling.7 Secondary skin infections—like if a blister is exposed to bacteria and gets infected—can also cause painful symptoms.—
Sarah Bradley,
Health,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Whether your team is in the middle of a winning run or mired in terrible form, five minutes looking at the standings can convince you that a hundred different futures are possible.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
14 Aug. 2025
-
While the latter is known for its legendarily terrible English localization, both of these were highly innovative horizontal scrolling shmups for their time.—
Ollie Barder,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Due to overwhelming demand, the run has already been extended, with tickets now on sale through Sunday, Aug. 31.—
Dave Quinn,
People.com,
7 Aug. 2025
-
Still, estimates back up what has long been known in the legal world: Private individuals and groups, not the Justice Department, have brought the overwhelming majority of Section 2 cases.—
Hansi Lo Wang,
NPR,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Their story was both deeply familiar and powerfully unsettling.—
Sam Wolson,
New Yorker,
7 Aug. 2025
-
The novel is unsettling but thrilling, and a classic work that has stood the test of time.—
Robert English,
EW.com,
30 July 2025
Adjective
-
That said, the pitching is in an awful place right now, though rookie Chase Dollander’s performance Monday night at St. Louis was heartening.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
13 Aug. 2025
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This man has saved countless kids from being groomed, has raised awareness to millions about these condo games and the awful things pedophiles will do to get their hands on children, and he's comforted people literally just like me who've gone through the exact thing.—
Jill Duffy,
PC Magazine,
12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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There’s also the unbearable guilt when people who trusted your vision end up bearing the consequences.—
David Ko,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
-
The noise can be close to unbearable, said Steve Ruprecht, of Delray Beach.—
Lois K. Solomon,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
To my mind, this is the most disturbing part of the retractions saga: the chaos, uncertainty, disrespect, and bullying, devoid of any underlying moral or philosophical reasoning.—
Elizabeth Kaye Cook
August 6,
Literary Hub,
6 Aug. 2025
-
Her dad, Taylor finds her art to be disturbing, but nonetheless harmless.—
DeVonne Goode,
Parents,
6 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Traumatic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/traumatic. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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