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
The effectiveness of scientific health is indisputable for the many who benefited from, say, interventions for traumatic injuries.
—
Cory Anderson, STAT, 6 Mar. 2026
The coroner determined the cause of death was traumatic blunt force injuries and the manner was accidental.
—Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 5 Mar. 2026
In Beirut, a familiar, traumatic routine set in.
—Rania Abouzeid, New Yorker, 5 Mar. 2026
But people with a history of severe trauma or post traumatic stress should be cautious, as should people dealing with injuries, joint problems, seizures, panic disorder, bipolar disorder, or psychosis.
—Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 2 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for traumatic
Cory Anderson, STAT, 6 Mar. 2026
The coroner determined the cause of death was traumatic blunt force injuries and the manner was accidental.
—Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 5 Mar. 2026
In Beirut, a familiar, traumatic routine set in.
—Rania Abouzeid, New Yorker, 5 Mar. 2026
But people with a history of severe trauma or post traumatic stress should be cautious, as should people dealing with injuries, joint problems, seizures, panic disorder, bipolar disorder, or psychosis.
—Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 2 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for traumatic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for traumatic
Adjective
-
After the horrible murder of Rob Reiner and his wife, legions of fans revisited to the director’s films, and this is one of his best.—
Brian Tallerico,
Vulture,
5 Mar. 2026
-
But today, the building is in horrible shape.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Sermon, his mentor, was in the midst of a painful split-up with his creative partner, PMD.—
Jayson Greene,
Pitchfork,
8 Mar. 2026
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And, if that wasn't painful enough, your retirement savings takes a hit because the loan isn't getting paid back.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
As compiled by Gnostics, who consider the material world to be a fundamentally terrible place.—
Jay Martel,
New Yorker,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The Astros’ young second baseman, Jose Altuve, was making waves, Fisher remembered, yet the club still looked terrible.—
Evan Drellich,
New York Times,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Athens then destroyed Melos and launched the Sicily Expedition with overwhelming force and no coherent theory of governance for what came next.—
Farah N. Jan,
The Conversation,
10 Mar. 2026
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Her prolific awards season run in 2024 coincided with the filming of Monarch season two, and having that support system around her proved to be rather comforting during such an overwhelming time.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Instead of an attack, the play offers something more unsettling, a meditation on the allure of a bad life and the trap of a good one.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Hair changes can feel unsettling, especially during life stages like postpartum recovery or menopause.—
Allison Palmer,
Kansas City Star,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Both teams were mostly awful on offense in the first half.—
Greg Beacham,
Twin Cities,
11 Mar. 2026
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Make no mistake about it, Smith was awful last year with the Raiders.—
Antwan Staley,
New York Daily News,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Raveau said the state of the regime has made Iran unbearable to live in.—
Julia Avant,
CBS News,
3 Mar. 2026
-
In the Netherlands, a young woman’s request for euthanasia on the grounds of unbearable mental suffering was approved.—
Sonja Wasden,
New York Daily News,
1 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
What followed was even more disturbing.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
8 Mar. 2026
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That would be a particularly disturbing piece of real hate mail Kubrin received late last year after she was quoted in a news story about immigration and crime.—
Andre Mouchard,
Oc Register,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Traumatic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/traumatic. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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