Tribulation means serious trouble, suffering, or distress that tests someone's strength and character. When a family faces tribulation, they might be dealing with illness, financial hardship, or the loss of someone they love. When a community experiences tribulation, people might struggle together through a natural disaster, economic crisis, or other collective challenge.

The word suggests more than everyday annoyances or minor setbacks. Getting a bad grade might be disappointing, but it's not tribulation. Tribulation refers to significant hardship that requires real courage and endurance to overcome. A pioneer family crossing the country in a covered wagon faced genuine tribulation: dangerous weather, limited food, and uncertain outcomes.

Throughout history, people have written about how tribulation can reveal inner strength. When you read about someone who persevered through great tribulation, you're learning about someone who refused to give up despite overwhelming difficulties. The civil rights activists of the 1950s and 1960s faced tremendous tribulation as they worked for equality and justice.

You might hear someone say they've been through tribulation or that something was a time of tribulation. The word acknowledges that the difficulty was real and serious, not something to dismiss or minimize.