/ ˌtrɪbjuˈleɪʃn; NAmE / noun
[ C , U ] ( literary or humorous ) great trouble or suffering :
the tribulations of modern life
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : via Old French from ecclesiastical Latin tribulatio(n-) , from Latin tribulare press, oppress, from tribulum threshing board (constructed of sharp points), based on terere rub.