as in pains
a state of great suffering of body or mind
a documentary chronicling the lasting tribulation of Holocaust survivors
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Recent Examples of tribulations
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
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
Ownership struggles, wars, economic collapses, and the ever-evolving tribulations of the automotive business brought constant change.
—James Raia, Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2026
Set outside of Carson City, Nevada, during the 1860s on a fictional ranch called Ponderosa, the show followed the adventures and tribulations of the Cartwright family.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 18 Feb. 2026
The 30-year-old Somali American, who also co-owns a Mediterranean restaurant in the same area experiencing similar economic tribulations, described his coffee shops as local melting pots for Muslims and non-Muslims, East Africans and White people.
—Yahya Salem, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 15 Apr. 2026
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
Ownership struggles, wars, economic collapses, and the ever-evolving tribulations of the automotive business brought constant change.
—James Raia, Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2026
Set outside of Carson City, Nevada, during the 1860s on a fictional ranch called Ponderosa, the show followed the adventures and tribulations of the Cartwright family.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 18 Feb. 2026
The 30-year-old Somali American, who also co-owns a Mediterranean restaurant in the same area experiencing similar economic tribulations, described his coffee shops as local melting pots for Muslims and non-Muslims, East Africans and White people.
—Yahya Salem, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tribulations
Noun
-
Iran’s political leadership has been at pains to dispel reports of infighting and to project a unified approach to the country’s military objectives and negotiating strategy.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
22 Apr. 2026
-
The pressures of fame and the pains of Michael’s brand of friendlessness are barely explored, beyond the requisite scenes of screaming fans crowding outside the family estate and a terrified Michael attempting to get away from them (while still politely waving).—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
And yet, in the scene on the Hill of Love, Lapid offers no self-questioning, no sense of cinematic exertion or trouble, in the fictional framing of the real agonies of Gaza.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The celebrated poet and memoirist, delves into the agonies of her decision and describes the emerging women’s liberation movement, of which Moore would soon become a participant.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Inarguably one of the best teams in the country annually, the Boilermakers had a string of March miseries.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
18 Mar. 2026
-
And allergy miseries don’t end after the spring.—
Tom Gavin,
EverydayHealth.com,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tribulations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tribulations. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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