traumatic

/trɔ:'mætik/

Thân thiện

A car accident can be a traumatic event for anyone involved.

Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Causing severe emotional or psychological distress: Describes an experience or event that is deeply shocking, upsetting, or distressing, often having long-lasting negative effects on a person's mental state.
   • Relating to or caused by a physical injury: Pertaining to a bodily wound or injury, especially one caused by an external force or violence.

Examples of Usage

• Adjective:
  • The car accident was a traumatic event for the entire family. (The experience caused severe psychological pain.)
  • She suffered traumatic injuries in the fall. (She suffered serious physical wounds from the fall.)
  • Witnessing the violence was deeply traumatic for the children. (It caused significant psychological distress.)

Advanced Usage

• "Traumatic experience": A common collocation referring to an event that causes psychological trauma.
  • Surviving the natural disaster was a traumatic experience for the community.
• "Traumatic brain injury (TBI)": A specific medical term for brain damage caused by an external force.
  • The cyclist was hospitalized with a traumatic brain injury.
• "Traumatic memory": A memory of a distressing event that is vividly and painfully recalled.
  • The sound of fireworks can trigger his traumatic memories from the war.

Variants and Related Words

• Trauma (n): The emotional shock or physical injury itself.
  • She is receiving therapy to cope with the trauma.
• Traumatize (v): To cause someone to experience severe emotional distress.
  • The violent images in the news can traumatize viewers.

Synonyms

• Distressing: Causing anxiety, sorrow, or pain.
• Shocking: Extremely surprising and upsetting.
• Harrowing: Acutely distressing or painful.
• Jarring: Causing a sudden, unpleasant shock.

Antonyms

• Healing: Tending to cure or soothe.
• Therapeutic: Having a beneficial effect on health or well-being.
• Calming: Making someone peaceful or quiet.

Related Phrases

• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): A mental health condition triggered by experiencing or witnessing a terrifying event.
  • Many veterans struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder.
• Traumatic event: A specific incident that causes psychological or physical trauma.
  • Counselors were available for anyone affected by the traumatic event.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. psychologically painful;
   • few experiences are more traumatic than losing a child
2. of or relating to a physical injury or wound to the body