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 can be many different causes of pelvic floor dysfunction, including pregnancy and childbirth, traumatic injuries to the pelvic area (from a bad fall or a car accident, for example) and pelvic surgery (such as hysterectomy or prostatectomy).
—
Stacey Colino, Time, 9 June 2026
There’s a similar feeling throughout Disclosure Day that the characters are confronting something traumatic and trying to find a way to the other side.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 9 June 2026
The Boston Neighborhood Trauma Team also provides free, confidential, 24-hour emotional support to those effected by traumatic incidents at (617)431-0125.
—Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 9 June 2026
On Saturday, June 6, the Weber County Sheriff's Office received a report that a 13-year-old girl sustained a traumatic injury after being hit by a falling tree at Pineview Reservoir.
—Paloma Chavez, PEOPLE, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for traumatic
Stacey Colino, Time, 9 June 2026
There’s a similar feeling throughout Disclosure Day that the characters are confronting something traumatic and trying to find a way to the other side.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 9 June 2026
The Boston Neighborhood Trauma Team also provides free, confidential, 24-hour emotional support to those effected by traumatic incidents at (617)431-0125.
—Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 9 June 2026
On Saturday, June 6, the Weber County Sheriff's Office received a report that a 13-year-old girl sustained a traumatic injury after being hit by a falling tree at Pineview Reservoir.
—Paloma Chavez, PEOPLE, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for traumatic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for traumatic
Adjective
-
The Savages’ social standing has dwindled to the point that only their equally horrible, grasping neighbors, the Bennetts (Richard McCabe and Vicki Pepperdine, both very funny), will fraternize with them.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
4 June 2026
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Without an ecosystem of competitive bids like Kalshi's, the customer usually walks away with a horrible deal.—
Ananya Chetia,
CNBC,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
He’s gone through the painful, laborious and expensive process of having his tattoos removed.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 June 2026
-
Like Sasse, most people in the trial experienced a rash (though just 15% had a severe case), and over half had nausea or painful sores in their mouths and throats.—
Lisa Jarvis,
Twin Cities,
7 June 2026
Adjective
-
In 2012, a powerful quake visited terrible damage on the city of Modena, Bottura’s home and host to his restaurant.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
The letter writer’s cousin has cancer, and the chemo gives her terrible side effects.—
Eric Thomas,
Sun Sentinel,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
From there, experimenting with one new ingredient per week — farro, barley, artichokes — makes the transition feel manageable rather than overwhelming.—
Ryan Brennan,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 June 2026
-
The case exposes a flood of cheaply made, often fraudulent AI tracks on major streaming platforms, siphoning royalties, overwhelming detection systems and blurring the line between fan remix and scam.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
Upending the character’s world is the arrival of a mysterious new student, Robert Mallory, whose unsettling presence coincides with the activities of a serial killer known as The Trawler.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
10 June 2026
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Her stance on gay and trans rights has evolved in especially unsettling ways.—
Moira Donegan,
New Yorker,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
There's an awful lot of this nation's history packed into one three-block area in Philadelphia.—
USA TODAY Network,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
-
Speaking of paperwork, there’s an awful lot of it in this episode.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
Whatever conclusions investigators might reach, the loss of at least 50 souls, and the wounding of dozens more innocents, is an unbearable blow for any community.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 June 2026
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The District has grief counselors on hand who can provide a safe space during this unbearable time.—
Tony Aiello,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
This approach to archival material thus wrestles with a disturbing present in which family dispossession is both normalized and pathologized in the media every single day.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
-
The report, released Thursday, details disturbing accounts from several of Platner’s ex-girlfriends.—
Britta Miller,
The Washington Examiner,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Traumatic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/traumatic. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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