traumatic
adjective
trau·mat·ic
trə-ˈma-tik 
trȯ-,
trau̇-
1
: psychologically or emotionally stressful in a way that can lead to serious mental and emotional problems
The report … revealed that the onset of bulimic behavior tends to be associated with voluntary dieting and with traumatic events such as the loss of a loved one.—
Ralph Heussner
Ralph HeussnerHe's been open and frank about his traumatic childhood scarred by violence and domestic abuse.—Stephen Milton
Stephen Milton
broadly
: causing distress or anxiety
The traumatic experience of the Wall Street crash and the long depression of the 1930s has gradually faded from memory … —Jack Revell
Jack Revell The arrival of mass tourism in a previously unspoilt area … was certainly traumatic. —Graham Robb
Graham Robb 2
medical
: relating to, being, or caused by a sudden, severe, often life-threatening injury to the body
… the lone medical centers in the Triad to treat victims of traumatic injuries such as life-threatening car wrecks or shootings.—Pat Kimbrough
Pat KimbroughThree years ago, she was in a traumatic car crash that shattered her pelvis, and caused numerous other injuries.—Brad Gillman
Brad GillmanThere have been reports of shrapnel causing a traumatic fistula between the right coronary artery and the right atrium.—Matthias Eikermann et al.
Matthias Eikermann et al.
also
: involving or causing tissue damage or physical stress
The artery-dilating procedure, which uses a balloon or other device guided to the restricted artery by a cardiac catheter, is less invasive and traumatic than coronary artery bypass surgery. —Andrew Skolnick
Andrew Skolnick Open-heart surgery has become all but routine in recent years, although still physically traumatic. —Ralph T. King, Jr.
see also chronic traumatic encephalopathy, post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury
Ralph T. King, Jr. Examples of traumatic in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Cherry often found himself in emotionally challenging scenes, like in Criminal Minds and House, M.D., where his characters would often go through traumatic experiences — but that didn’t seem to bother young Cherry.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, People.com, 12 Apr. 2025
Many who died suffered from traumatic head injuries, Dominican Republic Health Minister Victor Atallah said.
—Max Saltman, CNN Money, 10 Apr. 2025
There wasn’t a traumatic effect that caused (the hamstring strain).
—Dennis Lin, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
Visitors can admire her jewel-like paintings up close while learning about the deeply personal context and traumatic events that inspired her work, thus gaining insight into this remarkable artist who used her creativity to overcome emotional and physical pain.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for traumatic
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.
Tereza Shkurtaj, People.com, 12 Apr. 2025
Many who died suffered from traumatic head injuries, Dominican Republic Health Minister Victor Atallah said.
—Max Saltman, CNN Money, 10 Apr. 2025
There wasn’t a traumatic effect that caused (the hamstring strain).
—Dennis Lin, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
Visitors can admire her jewel-like paintings up close while learning about the deeply personal context and traumatic events that inspired her work, thus gaining insight into this remarkable artist who used her creativity to overcome emotional and physical pain.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for traumatic
Cite this Entry
“Traumatic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/traumatic. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
traumatic
adjective
trau·mat·ic
trə-ˈmat-ik, trȯ-, trau̇-
: of, relating to, resulting from, or causing a trauma
cases of traumatic rupture—The Journal of the American Medical Association
The Journal of the American Medical Associationa traumatic experience
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share