traumatic
6 synonyms and 3 antonyms for traumatic, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Adj — Deeply distressing or disturbing; caused by or relating to trauma.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Antonyms
How to use traumatic
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Etymology
From Ancient Greek traumatikos, from trauma, "wound."
Full origin of traumatic →Frequently asked questions
What does “traumatic” mean?
The word “traumatic” means deeply distressing or disturbing; caused by or relating to trauma. In plain terms, deeply upsetting, or relating to a physical wound.
How do you pronounce “traumatic”?
“Traumatic” is pronounced traw-MA-tihk (/tɹɔˈmætɪk/ in IPA).
How do you use “traumatic” in a sentence?
Here is “traumatic” used in a sentence: “The divorce was a traumatic experience for the whole family.”
What is the opposite of “traumatic”?
The opposite of “traumatic” — its antonyms — are non-traumatic, nontraumatic and untraumatic.
What part of speech is “traumatic”?
“Traumatic” is an adjective.
Where does the word “traumatic” come from?
The word “traumatic” comes from Ancient Greek. From Ancient Greek traumatikos, from trauma, "wound.".
Is “traumatic” a common word?
“Traumatic” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the C1 level.
How many meanings does “traumatic” have?
“Traumatic” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: deeply distressing or disturbing; caused by or relating to trauma.
What is the difference between traumatic and traumatizing?
Traumatic describes an event or experience itself as deeply distressing, while traumatizing describes the act of causing that distress to someone. In practice they overlap heavily, but traumatic is more common as a general descriptor and traumatizing emphasizes the effect on a specific person.
Can traumatic refer to a physical injury as well as an emotional experience?
Yes. Traumatic has a medical sense relating to physical wounds, as in a traumatic brain injury, alongside its more common everyday sense of something deeply distressing or disturbing. Which meaning applies usually depends on context, such as a clinical setting versus everyday conversation about a hard experience.
Is it correct to say something was 'very traumatic'?
Yes, this is standard usage, since traumatic events can vary in intensity and 'very traumatic' simply signals a particularly severe case. Some style guides note that because traumatic already implies deep distress, careful writers reserve intensifiers like 'very' for genuinely extreme situations rather than minor upsets.