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traumatic

traumatic

154 6.3
Causing deep emotional pain and lasting fear after a very bad event
  • adjective
  • /trɔˈmætɪk/
translation icon : traumático
  • You've been through something traumatic, go relax.
  • a traumatic event
  • a traumatic experience
  • traumatic stress

And she tells this traumatic, difficult, sad story.

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Examples

  • It sounds like you had a traumatic experience at some point there.

  • Just some of the very traumatic experiences that they went through.

  • And she tells this traumatic, difficult, sad story.

  • So that is a significant traumatic event for anyone.

  • We process the events of the day, traumatic or not, during deep sleep.

  • Still, it had to be traumatic.

  • To have your home invaded is a traumatic experience, one that brings up all kinds of issues.

  • I-- I think I need some decompression time after that very traumatic experience back there.

  • I have helped policemen through very traumatic moments.

  • Witnessing the accident was a traumatic experience for everyone involved.

Synonyms

disturbing
vstraumatic
304 4.2

Causing worry or fear

is stronger and causes deeper, lasting psychological harm
devastating
vstraumatic
224 5.1

Causing very great damage or sadness

is focused on severe emotional injury rather than physical destruction
horrific
vstraumatic
179 5.5

Causing great fear or shock

relates to psychological harm rather than primarily causing fear or shock
harrowing
vstraumatic
27 8.2

Causing very strong fear or sadness

is severe psychological harm but may be slightly less intensely painful
distressful
vstraumatic
1 6.2

Making someone feel very worried or upset

is more intense, causing severe emotional or psychological damage

Antonyms

134 1.4

Making someone feel less worried or upset

6 2.6

An action that makes someone less angry or upset

Compounds

traumatic epilepsy
  • Specialized
6.9

A condition causing repeated seizures after a head injury

How Traumatic

devastating
224 5.1
traumatic
154 6.3
upsetting
81 2.5
disturbing
304 4.2
unsettling
64 4.2

Surface Forms

traumatic positive

Morphology

traumatic = trauma (transparent) = trauma + ic

Standard derivation from 'trauma' + '-ic' meaning 'relating to trauma' (emotional/psychological sense is a common modern sense of 'trauma').

Etymology

Traumatic comes from the Greek word trauma ('wound'), and people began to use it for deep emotional 'wounds' too. That's why a traumatic event is one that leaves someone very upset or hurt inside.