as in horrible
causing great and lasting pain or distress
The family struggled to cope with the traumatic experience of losing their home.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of traumatic
Others develop neurodivergences because of things like traumatic head injuries or long COVID.
—
Ayana Archie, NPR, 29 Oct. 2025
Despite his traumatic start, Ryder showed resilience and curiosity from the beginning.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
And too much information could tip her into a traumatic meltdown.
—Sean Williams, Outside, 27 Oct. 2025
Tourniquets are one tool to stop traumatic hemorrhaging in areas outside of the trunk.
—Patricia "blackpacker" Cameron, Outside Online, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for traumatic
Ayana Archie, NPR, 29 Oct. 2025
Despite his traumatic start, Ryder showed resilience and curiosity from the beginning.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
And too much information could tip her into a traumatic meltdown.
—Sean Williams, Outside, 27 Oct. 2025
Tourniquets are one tool to stop traumatic hemorrhaging in areas outside of the trunk.
—Patricia "blackpacker" Cameron, Outside Online, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for traumatic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for traumatic
Adjective
-
The New York Jets’ Sunday began with a horrible loss, as legendary center Nick Mangold passed away after a long battle with kidney disease.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Šilovs did, however, look horrible in the shootout.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The murder scene was so gruesome and painful to process that the community simply burnt the house down.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Fumbling with the plastic nubs can be painful and frustrating.—
Zoe Gates,
Outside,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
There have always been fascist forces, there have always been people who are just terrible in the American government, but at the same time, there are always people who have resisted, and there are always people who have still found ways to create joy, to create life, to create art, despite these.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Marchand’s terrible week ended with joy.—
Adam H. Beasley,
Miami Herald,
2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Lizzo’s understanding of a litany of online phrases is coherent enough, albeit overwhelming to hear all in succession.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Since making her major-label debut in April 2024, eill has enthralled countless people with her unparalleled voice and her overwhelming musical sensibilities.—
Billboard Japan,
Billboard,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Rather, the Lamb baby is literally the face of a lamb and the body of a human child, which is unsettling in a wholly novel way.—
Dennis Perkins,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
-
The problem is that among the general public, the optics are unsettling.—
David Hill,
Rolling Stone,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Hurricane Melissa’s devastation is the awful alchemy created by the unique combination of unstoppable gusts, seawater that is forced inland and deluge that pours out of the sky, all interacting with the landscape and human lives the storm found in its path.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
29 Oct. 2025
-
These limits exist because of the history of the government’s awful record with race.—
Andrew Quinio,
Oc Register,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Her optic nerve was damaged, and the pain was unbearable.—
Rick Mauch,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Residents are also concerned that the influx of residential units would make already bad traffic in the area unbearable, and many audience members groaned loudly when Trantalis and Fajardo confirmed the units will be rentals, not condos.—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
With 31 percent of adults and 80 percent of adolescents not meeting recommended levels of physical activity, researchers have unveiled a disturbing glimpse of what the long-term impacts on our health and appearance could look like.—
Hannah Millington,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
-
The film follows his lead, constructing a near-relentless study of misery that culminates in a disturbing finale.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Traumatic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/traumatic. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share