tribulation
Americannoun
-
tribulations
plural
-
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
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
See Examples For:
And it prays, as we do, that these days of tribulation will swiftly turn into days of deliverance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 5, 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
She wondered why there were only two kinds of weather: hardship in the morning, and tribulation at night.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
Kirkpatrick was one of seven children left behind, forced to navigate life’s trials and tribulations without his mom and dad.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
It reminds me of how, recently, my younger sister — deep in the trials and tribulations of planning her wedding look — called me sounding breathless and almost conspiratorial.
From Salon ● Aug. 4, 2026
"I think people understand and realize that the Jackson family is no different than any family. We go through our trials and tribulations, ups and downs, but we learn to agree to disagree," he said.
From Barron's ● Apr. 21, 2026
“No matter the trials and tribulations he faced in life, he was constant in his generosity and love for his family,” his children said in a press release.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 9, 2025
After the trials and tribulations of Summerland, I know my life’s path: Stop the Survivalists and all those like them.
From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland
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.
