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
In retrospect, this traumatic event gave us a luminous, decades-long solo career that moved seamlessly from oblique art-rock to sumptuous electronica, pastoral instrumentals, and soundtrack music.
—
Spin Staff, SPIN, 1 June 2026
Neither resulted in lasting security improvements and instead left indelible, traumatic scars on Israel’s collective consciousness, creating the image of Lebanon as a quagmire into which Israel has been repeatedly drawn.
—Asher Kaufman, The Conversation, 1 June 2026
Officers received information that a 4-year-old was being treated at MidState Medical Center for a traumatic head injury, according to police.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 29 May 2026
Following a traumatic incident that took place five years before the start of the series, Lee moved to out-of-the-way Deokpung Village.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for traumatic
Spin Staff, SPIN, 1 June 2026
Neither resulted in lasting security improvements and instead left indelible, traumatic scars on Israel’s collective consciousness, creating the image of Lebanon as a quagmire into which Israel has been repeatedly drawn.
—Asher Kaufman, The Conversation, 1 June 2026
Officers received information that a 4-year-old was being treated at MidState Medical Center for a traumatic head injury, according to police.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 29 May 2026
Following a traumatic incident that took place five years before the start of the series, Lee moved to out-of-the-way Deokpung Village.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for traumatic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for traumatic
Adjective
-
His slugging percentage is horrible.—
Nick Canepa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 May 2026
-
Some of it had to do with horrible tragedy, some because hopefuls could not see the math working out for them.—
Deputy Managing Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
The result was a painful correction.—
Robert Ginsburg,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
-
The most painful part of the quarter-long dry spell was that Oklahoma City seemed to have all the answers during San Antonio’s explosive first half.—
William Guillory,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
Historically, South America has proven irresistible to certain inhabitants of the northern hemisphere eager to escape the consequences of their terrible actions.—
David Futrelle,
Washington Post,
4 June 2026
-
In retrospect, the Supreme Court decision that opened the widespread legalization of sports betting was a terrible, terrible mistake.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
Delisle had seen enough to know that these currents were overwhelming, even dangerous at times.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
-
The ability to disconnect intentionally from these overwhelming stimuli—to reclaim one’s focus, clarity, and feeling of immediacy—has become rare and precious.—
Robb Report Studio,
Robb Report,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
This unsettling event haunted Stephen for decades, driving him to collaborate with filmmakers Cynthia Hill and Christine Delp in a search for answers.—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 June 2026
-
When an unsettling piece of evidence is revealed, Tara and her crew investigate the disturbing circumstances surrounding the case and attempt to uncover the truth about her brother’s disappearance.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
That’s an awful lot of people living with life-changing consequences.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
3 June 2026
-
But for a restaurant that serves plenty of dishes seemingly designed for white tablecloths, there’s still an awful lot of eating done with your hands.—
Colin Wrenn,
Denver Post,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
Rejane Faria brought a powerful sense of truth to this character, delicately balancing all the nuances of a woman carrying an unbearable grief, yet still searching for a way to keep going and reconcile with herself.—
Marcelo Cajueiro,
Variety,
28 May 2026
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Not just because the grief was unbearable.—
Nitin Murali,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
Adjective
-
OpenAI had previously flagged her ChatGPT conversations as having a disturbing fascination with extreme violence, and suspended her account, but reportedly the company did not notify law enforcement.—
Anat Lior,
Fortune,
30 May 2026
-
In an hour-and-a-half interview with the New York Times Popcast that dropped on Thursday, Rodrigo staunchly defended the dress and called the criticism disturbing.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Traumatic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/traumatic. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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