traumaticadjective
uk/trɔːˈmæt.ɪk//traʊˈmæt.ɪk/us/trɑːˈmæt̬.ɪk/C2 If an experience is traumatic, it causes you severe emotional shock and upset:
Some of the most disturbed children had witnessed really traumatic things, such as rape and murder.
informal frightening and causing worry:
Taking exams is always traumatic for me.
More examples
- Under deep hypnosis she remembered the traumatic events of that night.
- There may be traumatic incident in your past that you have blanked out.
- I found it very traumatic to see my own child being anaesthetized.
- He found his 40th birthday quite traumatic.
- We will all remember the traumatic events of 11 September, 2001.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Saddening, shocking and upsetting
- a cloud hanging over sb idiom
- affecting
- arrogant
- baleful
- be cold comfort idiom
- condescend
- distressing
- dolorous
- ego trip
- egocentric
- egoism
- immodest
- imperious
- lofty
- narcissism
- officious
- poignant
- unmentionable
- upsetting
- vanity
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Describing things that cause fear
traumatically
adverb uk/trɔːˈmæt.ɪ.kəl.i//traʊˈmæt.ɪ.kəl.i/us/trɑːˈmæt̬.ɪ.kəl.i/