as in horrible
causing great and lasting pain or distress
The family struggled to cope with the traumatic experience of losing their home.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example 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
The driver appeared to have suffered serious traumatic injuries, according to state police.
—
Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 11 May 2026
Some of the injured were burned and suffered traumatic injuries.
—Miami Herald, Sun Sentinel, 10 May 2026
Anthens said the incident was too traumatic.
—Karina Tsui, CNN Money, 9 May 2026
The story, to me, is about two young women who have navigated their world as survivors, as resilient people who grew up in the foster care system, having suffered a traumatic fire where their mother died.
—Juan A. Ramírez, Vogue, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for traumatic
Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 11 May 2026
Some of the injured were burned and suffered traumatic injuries.
—Miami Herald, Sun Sentinel, 10 May 2026
Anthens said the incident was too traumatic.
—Karina Tsui, CNN Money, 9 May 2026
The story, to me, is about two young women who have navigated their world as survivors, as resilient people who grew up in the foster care system, having suffered a traumatic fire where their mother died.
—Juan A. Ramírez, Vogue, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for traumatic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for traumatic
Adjective
-
Which is horrible, just that amount of women being murdered.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
17 May 2026
-
Hmmm, a book about climate change, economic hardship, labor shortages, rising food prices, and a family having a horrible time?—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
Quickly, and out of nowhere, the moment went from fun to incredibly painful for Golla.—
Mark Harris OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
17 May 2026
-
Regenvanu also makes clear that Vanuatu will not withdraw its UN resolution, despite pressure and despite painful compromises in the text.—
Ingmar Rentzhog,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Adjective
-
Residents describe ‘a terrible night’ More than 30 people were injured in the apartment building collapse, while emergency workers rescued 28 residents, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said.—
Samya Kullab,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
-
And some were not kind to him on social media following the terrible first round.—
Dan Zaksheske OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
Jokic and Doncic rely more on skill, pace and intellect than overwhelming athleticism or raw physical dominance.—
Bobby Burack OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
19 May 2026
-
The overwhelming majority of NFL teams are principally owned and run by white men.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
19 May 2026
Adjective
-
Tensions mount, especially when Matt reenters the picture, and Max Fabian’s fight choreography creates some unsettling moments.—
Emily McClanathan,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
-
And that is not even touching on all the unsettling racial humor that came with having Shane Gillis and Tony Hinchliffe — two comedians who have actually faced backlash for hate speech — on the dais for the roast of a Black entertainer.—
Marcus Jones,
IndieWire,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
And Season 2 was the Deathclaw, which was an awful lot of fun.—
Scott Huver,
Variety,
20 May 2026
-
But every awful pause contains an ocean of meaning, none of it comforting.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
Courtney is doing a great job of making Rob-Will absolutely unbearable!—
William Earl,
Variety,
15 May 2026
-
Levi feared that the translator would mutilate the text by cutting any passages that struck him as unbearable or too shameful for future readers.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
There’s something disturbing about watching these already commonplace delusions about ChatGPT — Your particular version has a soul!—
Vulture,
Vulture,
17 May 2026
-
But as dubious therapies and unsettling postcolonial rituals blur the line between wellness and manipulation, Alexa begins uncovering the disturbing forces hidden beneath the retreat’s seductive façade.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Traumatic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/traumatic. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
