Meaning & use
traumatize
To cause someone lasting psychological shock or distress as a result of a disturbing experience.
See it in a sentence
The accident traumatized the young driver, who avoided highways for years afterward.
Constant criticism from a parent can traumatize a child well into adulthood.
A note on using this word
Traumatize is often overused informally to mean merely upset; in clinical contexts it implies genuine, lasting psychological harm.
Words with a similar meaning
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