tribulation

American  

[trib-yuh-ley-shuhn] / ˌtrɪb yəˈleɪ ʃən /

noun

1. grievous trouble; severe trial or suffering.

   Synonyms:

   adversity, distress, hardship, affliction

2. an instance of this; an affliction, trouble, etc.

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tribulation British  

/ ˌtrɪbjʊˈleɪʃən /

noun

1. a cause of distress

2. a state of suffering or distress

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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

Example Sentences

They thought they needed to keep themselves spiritually pure to survive the coming tribulation.

From The Wall Street Journal

"All Rise has that triumphant feeling and affirmation of our common humanity in spite of the tribulations and pitfalls."

From BBC

And it prays, as we do, that these days of tribulation will swiftly turn into days of deliverance.

From The Wall Street Journal

He gave voice to the hopes and fears, trials and tribulations, of ordinary Indians as well as the country's elite.

From BBC

But it wasn’t always easy to sympathize with his trials and tribulations in the most elite enclaves of Los Angeles.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• adversity
• grief
• heartache
• misery
• misfortune
• woe