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 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 In great detail and with candid memories, the book narrates the trials, tribulations, and tragedies from the band’s formation in 1984 through the current day, including emotional and personal reflections on the life and death of one of its own superheroes, Chris Cornell. — Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 9 June 2026 But Johnson, a West Sider and member of the nondemonational Lawndale Christian Community Church, has frequently leaned on his base within the Black church during times of tribulation in office. — Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2026 The new film, which is both written and directed by the franchise’s longtime screenwriter John Hamburg, sees Grande play Olivia Jones, the fiancé of Pam and Greg Focker’s son who now has to endure the tribulations of meeting the parents (and grandparents) before joining the family. — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 15 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tribulation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tribulation
  1. distress
  2. agony
  3. misery
  4. anguish
  5. pain
Noun
  • Watch closely for signs of heat distress in yourself and others, including your neighbors and the elderly, Delaney said.
    — Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 3 July 2026
  • Never upside down — The flag should never be displayed upside down except as a signal of distress.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 3 July 2026
Definition of distress
Noun
  • Rojas said the earthquakes have caused agony for Venezuelan players, even those who didn’t lose family or friends.
    — Greg Beacham, Chicago Tribune, 6 July 2026
  • There were the two calls in September, one about a detainee who lay on the floor holding his stomach in agony and unable to speak after swallowing an unknown object.
    — Perla Trevizo, ProPublica, 3 July 2026
Definition of agony
Noun
  • The Charlotte region will start feeling like a frying pan come Wednesday, and forecasters expect the sticky misery to linger into next week.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 30 June 2026
  • But the misery of the heat would add to the story told over natural wine at a bar back home.
    — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 27 June 2026
Definition of misery
Noun
  • Some mourners, gathering at the funeral of Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran on Saturday, expressed both anguish and a desire for vengeance.
    — Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 4 July 2026
  • And with that decision, the company narrowed the chance that the mother’s anguish could draw attention to any danger the formula might pose to other infants.
    — David Hilzenrath, USA Today, 2 July 2026
Definition of anguish
Noun
  • The families of the victims said the pain is still as raw to this day.
    — Madisen Keavy, CBS News, 2 July 2026
  • The first shingles vaccine was licensed in 2006, and the more effective Shingrix vaccine was introduced in 2017, greatly reducing the risk of shingles and long-term nerve pain, according to the CDC and FDA.
    — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of pain

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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 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on tribulation

Nglish: Translation of tribulation for Spanish Speakers

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