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traumatic

/trəˈmæɾɪk/
/trɔˈmætɪk/
IPA guide

Other forms: traumatically

Something is traumatic if it's very upsetting, painful, or disturbing. The word is related to a Greek word meaning "wound," so you can think of traumatic as something involving a wound, either physical or mental.

Your brother's reckless driving could make getting to school a traumatic experience in terms of your mental health. Traumatic can also describe a major physical injury, such as a traumatic brain injury. Post-traumatic stress disorder is a medical term used to describe the lasting and debilitating effects of something awful you've experienced, such as witnessing a disaster or suffering a major injury during combat.

Definitions of traumatic
  1. adjective
    psychologically painful
    synonyms: scalding
    painful
    causing physical or psychological pain
  2. adjective
    of or relating to a physical injury or wound to the body
Pronunciation
US
/trəˈmæɾɪk/
UK
/trɔˈmætɪk/
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘traumatic'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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