as in horrible
causing great and lasting pain or distress
The family struggled to cope with the traumatic experience of losing their home.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples 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
After a traumatic event, Tony comes to see the importance of self-confidence — and becoming his own hero too.
—
Carly Tagen-Dye, People.com, 29 Nov. 2024
Relieving intense pain, such as that caused by surgery and traumatic injury, risks inducing the sort of pleasure that could leave patients addicted.
—Richard A. Friedman, The Atlantic, 29 Nov. 2024
They can be caused by everyday wear and tear, a single traumatic blow, or develop gradually over time due to repetitive overhead motions.
—Christopher Bergland, Verywell Health, 25 Nov. 2024
According to the Los Angeles County medical examiner, the elder Kobayashi died from blunt force traumatic injuries.
—Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 27 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for traumatic 
Carly Tagen-Dye, People.com, 29 Nov. 2024
Relieving intense pain, such as that caused by surgery and traumatic injury, risks inducing the sort of pleasure that could leave patients addicted.
—Richard A. Friedman, The Atlantic, 29 Nov. 2024
They can be caused by everyday wear and tear, a single traumatic blow, or develop gradually over time due to repetitive overhead motions.
—Christopher Bergland, Verywell Health, 25 Nov. 2024
According to the Los Angeles County medical examiner, the elder Kobayashi died from blunt force traumatic injuries.
—Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 27 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for traumatic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for traumatic
Adjective
-
Correspondent Jim Axelrod talks with Thompson about illuminating injustice and a Mississippi Delta culture that, Thompson says, has spent decades trying to erase a horrible crime; and visits the barn, which still stands, where Till was beaten to death.David Morgan, CBS News, 29 Nov. 2024
-
Fiyero still cares for Elphaba and leaves due to the crowd’s horrible comments.Nicole Fell, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
Survivor: Thailand The fake merge and brutal last challenge — where the final three had to hold coins between their fingers in a crazy painful pose — keep this dud out of the bottom spot.Dalton Ross, EW.com, 12 Dec. 2024
-
Her symptoms were pretty challenging—a series of painful nodules that needed to be lanced and drained.Julia Ries, SELF, 12 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Jack McBrayer plays a flustered resort concierge who delivers the terrible news to two bridezilla-esque adults who won’t be walking down the aisle in white but are still very invested in the nuptials.Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 11 Dec. 2024
-
Food is terrible, the vibe is off, absolutely trash.Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
The first feeling of entering the cathedral can be overwhelming, as the crowds are so big and the architecture seems so cavernous and complex.Michael Kimmelman, New York Times, 6 Dec. 2024
-
The region is spoiled for choice that can, at times, be overwhelming.Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Concerns With Imported Toys The report highlights a number of unsettling realities surrounding toys purchased by U.S. consumers directly from online retailers located overseas.Mia Taylor, Parents, 27 Nov. 2024
-
Simply sharing the final score — Dallas Cowboys 34, Washington Commanders 26 — does not come close to explaining the bizarre ending and unsettling ways the home team lost with contributions from all three phases.Ben Standig, The Athletic, 24 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
But even if the company succeeds, internet users have a way of pushing the boundaries of new tools like this until every possible awful output has been demonstrated.Scott Rosenberg, Axios, 10 Dec. 2024
-
As a unit, the Bengals defense has been awful, only scoring four PPG, which is the 4th least in the NFL.Steve Bradshaw, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
With temperatures soaring above 100 degrees, our home felt like a sauna — an unbearable environment, especially for a newborn at risk of heat stroke.Omaid Homayun, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024
-
Even her description of chemotherapy—her stomach outlined, her internal organs individually asserting themselves—suggests that what her ordeal gave her was a kind of unbearable self-awareness.Molly Fischer, The New Yorker, 4 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
About 30% of Native people are practicing or potential artists and the study reported a disturbing fact: Nearly 70% of these artists earn household incomes of less than $10,000, far below the poverty line.Debra Utacia Krol, USA TODAY, 1 Dec. 2024
-
Shippers don’t want to take them, however, because of their disturbing tendency to burst into flames when punctured, crushed, or overheated.Vince Beiser, WIRED, 30 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near traumatic
Cite this Entry
“Traumatic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/traumatic. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share