tribulation

tri·bu·la·tion
T1R1I1B3U1L1A1T1I1O1N1
UK/ˌtɹɪbjʊˈleɪ̯ʃən/US/ˌtɹɪbjəˈleɪ̯ʃən/

noun

Any adversity; a trying period or event.

Less commonScrabble 13

Meanings

tribulation1

nountribulation (countable and uncountable, plural tribulations)

plural tribulations

  1. countableuncountableAny adversity; a trying period or event.

    Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer

    1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Romans 12:12
    5 more examples

    What wit have we (poor fools) to wit what will serve us, when the blessed Apostle himself in his sore tribulation, praying thrice unto God to take it away from him, was answered again by God in a manner that he was but a fool in asking that request, but that the help of God's grace in that tribulation to strengthen him was far better for him, than to take that tribulation from him?

    1534, Thomas More, chapter VI, in A Dialoge of Comfort against Tribulacion, Made by Syr Thomas More Knyght, and Set Foorth by the Name of an Hūgariē, not before this Time Imprinted. B.L., London: In aedibus Richardi Totteli, published 1553, OCLC 503798044; republished as “It Sufficeth not that a Man Have a Desire to be Comforted by God only by the Taking Away of the Tribulation”, in A Dialogue of Comfort against Tribulation, Made by the Right Virtuous, Wise and Learned Man, Sir Thomas More, sometime Lord Chancellor of England, which He Wrote in the Town of London, A.D. 1534, and entitled thus: A Dialogue of Comfort against Tribulation, made by an Hungarian in Latin, and Translated out of Latin into French, and out of French into English now Newly Set Forth with Many Places Restored and Corrected. Now Newly Set Forth, with Many Places Restored and Corrected by Conference of Sundry Copies. (English Catholic Library; 3), London: Charles Dolman, 61, New Bond Street, 1847, OCLC 499142813, page 23

    And mark me, brother! not in the proudest days of the mitred Abbey, was a Superior ever chosen, whom his office shall so much honour, as he shall be honoured, who now takes it upon him in these days of tribulation.

    1820, [Walter Scott], chapter XIII, in The Abbot. […], volume I, Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne & Co.] for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […]; and for Archibald Constable and Company, and John Ballantyne, […], →OCLC, page 276

    Baltimore's tribulations were indeed sore; there was no peace for him day nor night.

    1847, Herman Melville, chapter XI, in Omoo: A Narrative of Adventures in the South Seas, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, Publishers; London, John Murray, OCLC 4988695; republished as “Doctor Long Ghost a Wag—One of His Capers”, in Omoo: A Narrative of Adventures in the South Seas, 6th edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, Publishers 329 & 331 Pearl Street, Franklin Square, 1852, OCLC 22323804, page 62

    Older men declare war. But it is the youth that must fight and die. It is youth who must inherit the tribulation, the sorrow and the triumphs that are the aftermath of war.

    1944 June 27, Herbert Hoover, speech in Chicago, Illinois, to the 23rd Republican National Convention; quoted in Linda Carol Harms Case, Bold Beliefs in Camouflage: A–Z Briefings: A Valuable Resource Highlighting an Extraordinary Collection of Prayers, Military Quotations, Scripture Verses, Bible Stories, Hymns, and Testimonies, Relevant to Core Values and Keywords Used by Chaplains, Leaders, Veterans, and Other Members of the American Armed Forces, Victoria, B.C.; Neche, N.D.: FriesenPress, January 2013, ISBN 978-1-77097-632-0, page 203

    Essentially stoic, passive characters, Kristina and the others triumph by surviving — by outliving their plagues and tribulations.

    2009 September 24, Richard Corliss, “Kristina: A new musical from the ABBA guys”, in Time, archived from the original on 08 Mar 2016

Tribulation2

proper noun
  1. Christian eschatology(A period of) persecution before the Second Coming, lasting seven years, which Christians will experience worldwide which will purify and strengthen them.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounan annoying or frustrating or catastrophic event

Broader

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

tribulation · noun

  1. Latintribulāre“to press, probably also thresh out grain”
  2. Late Latintrībulātiō“distress, trouble, tribulation, affliction”
  3. Old Frenchtribulacion
  4. Middle Englishtribulation
  5. Englishtribulation

From Middle English tribulation, from Old French tribulacion, from Late Latin trībulātiō (“distress, trouble, tribulation, affliction”), from Latin tribulāre (“to press, probably also thresh out grain”), from trībulum (“a sledge consisting of a wooden block studded with sharp pieces of flint or with iron teeth, used for threshing grain”), from terēre (“to rub”); see trite.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek θλῖψις
  • θλῖψις (thlîpsis)adversity
Arabic مِحْنَة
  • مِحْنَة (miḥna)adversity
Bulgarian нещастие, страдание
  • нещастие (neštastie)adversity
  • страдание (stradanie)adversity
Chinese Mandarin 逆境, 险境
  • 逆境 (nìjìng)adversity
  • 险境 (xiánjìng)adversity
  • 苦难 (kǔnàn)adversity
  • 灾厄 (zaiè)adversity
Dutch beproeving
  • beproevingadversity
Finnish koitos
  • koitosadversity
French tribulation
  • tribulationadversity
German Kummer, Trübsal
  • Kummeradversity
  • Trübsaladversity
  • Mühsaladversity
  • Drangsaladversity
  • Bedrängnisadversity
Hungarian sanyarúság, szorultság
  • sanyarúságadversity
  • szorultságadversity
  • szorongattatásadversity
  • nyomorúságadversity
Indonesian tribulasi
  • tribulasiadversity
Irish dólás, treabhlaid
  • dólásadversity
  • treabhlaidadversity
  • amhluadhadversity
  • fochaidhadversity
  • ongadversity
Italian tribolazione
  • tribolazioneadversity
Latin aerumna
  • aerumnaadversity
Māori poautinitini, whakapāwera
  • poautinitiniadversity
  • whakapāweraadversity
Norwegian motgang, prøvelse
  • motgangadversity
  • prøvelseadversity
  • trengseladversity
Polish ucisk, czas próby
  • uciskadversity
  • czas próbyadversity
  • nieszczęścieadversity
Portuguese tribulação
  • tribulaçãoadversity
Russian бе́дствие, беда́
  • бе́дствие (bédstvije)adversity
  • беда́ (bedá)adversity
  • несча́стье (nesčástʹje)adversity
  • го́ре (góre)adversity
Scottish Gaelic trioblaid
  • trioblaidadversity
Spanish tribulación
  • tribulaciónadversity
Swedish bedrövelse, vedermöda
  • bedrövelseadversity
  • vedermödaadversity
Turkish çile, dert
  • çileadversity
  • dertadversity
  • musibetadversity
  • sıkıntıadversity

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with tribulation

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

tribulation. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tribulation

MLA

“tribulation.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tribulation. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tribulation,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tribulation.

Source: tribulation on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.