tribulation

noun

ˌtri-byə-ˈlā-shən How to pronounce tribulation (audio)
Definition of tribulationnext
as in distress
a state of great suffering of body or mind a documentary chronicling the lasting tribulation of Holocaust survivors

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tribulation That was Mark Critchley’s cue to interview Maguire about his tribulations in Manchester (and his harder times with the England national team, too). — Phil Hay, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026 Initially unsure of one another, Agnes and Daisy must nevertheless weather the common tribulations of girlhood together, which take on nightmarish new valences inside Gilead. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Apr. 2026 The novel makes clear the particular tribulations faced by a biracial woman for whom claiming membership in either race inevitably means excluding the other. — Nicky Marsh, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Mar. 2026 The husband-and-wife filmmakers behind the Iranian doc short Cutting Through Rocks, who had faced their own tribulations, were right there. — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 16 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tribulation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tribulation
  1. distress
  2. agony
  3. misery
  4. anguish
  5. pain
Noun
  • OpenAI has said its ChatGPT program is trained to recognize signs of emotional distress, de-escalate situations, and guide users to real-life support.
    — Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 23 July 2026
  • The two men filed a lawsuit against Unity Medical Center alleging emotional distress caused by negligence and medical malpractice, claiming the facility robbed them of the lives they were meant to live.
    — Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of distress
Noun
  • Negron shared her agony over losing her brother on social media.
    — Julian Roberts-Grmela, New York Daily News, 18 July 2026
  • Sadly, in discouraging all the phantom agonies, FIFA inadvertently seems to have done away with the equally farcical phenomenon that is Magic Spray®.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of agony
Noun
  • Little overnight relief Exacerbating the misery will be the lack of cooling temperatures overnight.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026
  • Smith Galer has much to say against the case for putting languages out of their misery, but her focus is on a point with which even the most unsentimental can surely sympathize.
    — Nikhil Krishnan, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
Definition of misery
Noun
  • But Nolan puts the anguish of the war at the center of his movie.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026
  • Yet, outside the excellently claustrophobic Trojan Horse scenes, Nolan is more interested in exploring his anguish than his spoils.
    — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 18 July 2026
Definition of anguish
Noun
  • Conversely, forgiveness reverses these neural patterns, calming pain and restoring cognitive function.
    — Kevin Kruse, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • Unable to confide in others as to the nature of their relationship, Iván is forced to confront the pain of loss in silence.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 22 July 2026
Definition of pain

Browse Nearby Words

tribes
tribulation
tribulations
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Cite this Entry

“Tribulation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tribulation. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on tribulation

Nglish: Translation of tribulation for Spanish Speakers

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