Definitions
01emotional wound
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun Psychology
n. a very upsetting or scary experience that causes long-term mental or emotional pain.
n. a psychological injury resulting from a deeply distressing or life-threatening event. Often uncountable when referring to the state of mind, but countable when referring to specific incidents.
“It took her many years to recover from the trauma of the accident.”
“Childhood trauma can have profound effects on adult relationships if the underlying emotional wounds are not addressed through professional therapy.”
02physical injury
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Medicine Technical
n. a serious physical injury to the body, usually caused by an accident or violence.
n. severe physical injury caused by an external source. Frequently used in medical contexts to describe the physical damage itself.
Español:trauma
“The hospital has a special unit for patients with severe head trauma.”
“The emergency room team was prepared to treat multiple blunt force traumas following the multi-vehicle collision on the highway.”
03a distressing event
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. an event that is very difficult, stressful, or unpleasant to deal with.
n. an event or experience that causes significant distress or upheaval. Often used more broadly in non-clinical contexts to describe any major negative life event.
“Moving house can be a real trauma for some people.”
“The sudden closure of the factory was a trauma for the entire town, as hundreds of families lost their primary source of income overnight.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “trauma” in context.
Verb
01. inflict trauma on patients
“The poorly managed surgery inflicted unnecessary trauma on the patients.”
verb + noun + prep + noun
02. overcome the trauma
“It took years of counseling for her to finally overcome the trauma of the accident.”
verb + noun
03. process the trauma
“Therapy can help survivors process the trauma they experienced in childhood.”
verb + noun
Adjective
04. blunt force trauma
“The medical examiner concluded that the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head.”
adj + noun + noun
05. unresolved trauma
“Unresolved trauma can manifest as physical symptoms later in life.”
adj + noun
06. vicarious trauma
“Social workers often suffer from vicarious trauma after hearing their clients' stories.”
adj + noun
Noun
07. aftermath of the trauma
“In the aftermath of the trauma, the community rallied together to support the victims.”
noun + of + noun
08. trauma center
“The victim was airlifted to a level-one trauma center for emergency surgery.”
noun + noun
Real-World Examples
“He said Gartshore had a history of childhood trauma, mental health problems, overdoses and self-harm, but argued that she had provided appropriate care to her baby up until the night of her death.” “There may also be "predisposing factors", such as trauma, issues from early childhood, or negative self-belief, that can make it harder to curb your use, she says.” “The South East Coast ambulance service said two people had been taken to major trauma centres with severe injuries.” “So could the relationships between the characters; there is a hint of same-sex longing for two of them alongside Marnina’s grief and Dahlia’s family traumas.” Etymology
From Ancient Greek τραῦμα (traûma, “wound, damage”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/trauma
「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0