ENGLISH
REFERENCE

traumatic

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //tɹɔˈmætɪk// UK //tɹɔːmˈætɪk// trau·mat·ic Archaic

adj. causing severe emotional or physical distress that is difficult to forget. You use this to describe an event that is very upsetting or harmful.

adj. relating to or causing psychological or physical trauma. Often used to describe experiences that overwhelm an individual's ability to cope, leading to long-term emotional distress.


SIMPLE

Moving to a new country can be a traumatic experience for children.

CONTEXTUAL

The survivors of the earthquake received counseling to help them process the traumatic events they witnessed.

COMPLEX

Psychologists study how traumatic childhood experiences can influence brain development and social behavior well into an individual's adult life.

Etymology 1

From the Latin traumaticus, from the Ancient Greek τραυματικός (traumatikós), from τραῦμα (traûma). By surface analysis, trauma + -tic.

Etymology 2

From the Latin [medicāmentum] traumaticum, from traumaticus.

Usage

Commonly modifies nouns like 'experience', 'event', 'injury', or 'memory'.

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