From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishtribulationtrib‧u‧la‧tion /ˌtrɪbjəˈleɪʃən/ noun [countable, uncountable] formal PROBLEMserious trouble or a serious problem Even close friends were unaware of the tribulations she faced. → trials and tribulations at trial1(5)
Examples from the Corpus
tribulation• In a half-season of torment and tribulation, the most disappointing teams are Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Dallas and Carolina.• Finally he talks of the trials and tribulations of garage management.• Koppes describes the tribulations and the glories of all these projects very well.• Robert Mayo knows the tribulations of running a home-based business and has learned to work with them.• the tribulations of his personal life• Emma was accustomed to these tribulations of child-rearing, but never had she seen her husband Rupert so short-tempered and disapproving.Origin tribulation (1200-1300) Old French tribulacion, from Late Latin tribulatio, from Latin tribulare “to press down, cause to suffer” 