ENGLISH
REFERENCE

traumatic

adj. · n.
US //tɹɔˈmætɪk// UK //tɹɔːmˈætɪk// trau·mat·ic
  1. 1 emotionally painful (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    causing severe emotional shock and upset that lasts for a long time.

    relating to or causing psychological trauma; characterized by severe emotional distress and potential long-term mental health impacts.

    Example

    Moving to a new country as a child was a traumatic experience for him.

    Example

    Psychologists noted that the survivors of the earthquake required long-term support to process the traumatic events they had witnessed.
  2. 2 physical injury (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Medicine

    relating to a physical injury caused by a sudden accident or force.

    pertaining to physical wounds or injuries caused by external force rather than disease.

    Example

    The patient was rushed to the hospital with a traumatic brain injury.

    Example

    The surgeon specialized in treating traumatic injuries resulting from high-impact vehicular accidents.

    Usage

    Often used in medical collocations like 'traumatic brain injury' (TBI) or 'traumatic amputation'.
    • injurious
Show 1 more senseShow fewer
  1. 3 wound medicine (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Archaic Technical Medicine

    a type of medicine used to help heal wounds.

    a substance or medicinal agent used to treat or heal physical wounds.

    Example

    The old medical book listed several herbs that could be used as a traumatic.

    Example

    In nineteenth-century pharmacopoeias, various resins were classified as traumatics due to their supposed ability to accelerate the closing of open sores.
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.

© 2026 English Reference