tribulation
Americannoun
-
grievous trouble; severe trial or suffering.
- Synonyms:
- adversity, distress, hardship, affliction
-
an instance of this; an affliction, trouble, etc.
noun
-
a cause of distress
-
a state of suffering or distress
Etymology
Origin of tribulation
1175–1225; Middle English < Latin trībulātiōn- (stem of trībulātiō ) distress, trouble, equivalent to trībulāt ( us ) (past participle of trībulāre to press, squeeze, derivative of trībulum threshing sledge, equivalent to trī-, variant stem of terere to rub, crush + -bulum noun suffix of instrument) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
Tribulation is suffering or trouble, usually resulting from oppression. The tribulations of a coal miner include a dangerous work environment, lung disease from black dust and a cramped, dark work space. When you encounter the word tribulation, it will usually be in the company of the word trial as in, “She suffered many trials and tribulations as an early feminist.” The two words, while not identical, emphasize each other as they essentially mean testing and suffering. Tribulation comes from the Latin verb tribulare "to oppress, afflict."
Vocabulary lists containing tribulation
Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" Speech (1963)
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"I Have a Dream" by Martin Luther King Jr.
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "T"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They thought they needed to keep themselves spiritually pure to survive the coming tribulation.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026
Most of the rituals are performed only during turbulent times; the most recent tribulation was the global coronavirus pandemic.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 17, 2024
The simple wish of a dignified cremation — a swift completion of the rites soon after death is central to salvation in the Hindu faith — becomes a tribulation.
From New York Times • Dec. 1, 2022
Hugh and Mary Parsons became a means not just of explaining all things strange in Springfield but also a way of reaffirming what was and wasn’t acceptable behavior in the face of tribulation.
From Slate • Oct. 31, 2022
After years and years of tribulation and controversy, and the brouhaha about the match, Fischer had arrived at the threshold of his lifelong goal.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
