traumatic
traw-MA-tihk
Traumatic (adj) means Deeply distressing or disturbing; caused by or relating to trauma. Example: “The divorce was a traumatic experience for the whole family.”
adj
1
Deeply distressing or disturbing; caused by or relating to trauma.
"The divorce was a traumatic experience for the whole family."
"Losing his home in the flood was a traumatic experience for him."
"Many children find their first day at a new school traumatic."
2
Relating to a physical wound.
"The surgeon assessed the traumatic injury to the patient's leg."
"The doctor treated a traumatic wound caused by a fall from a ladder."
"Traumatic injuries to the head need urgent attention in hospital."
How to use traumatic
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishDeeply upsetting, or relating to a physical wound.
Common pairings
traumatic experience
traumatic injury
traumatic event
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Word forms
- Plural
- traumatics
- Comparative
- more traumatic
- Superlative
- most traumatic
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The divorce was a _____ experience for the whole family.
Etymology
From Ancient Greek traumatikos, from trauma, "wound."
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
non-traumatic
nontraumatic
untraumatic
Related words
Rhymes for traumatic
See all rhymes for 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.
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