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Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 15, 2021 is: tribulation • trib-yuh-LAY-shun • noun Tribulation, which is often used in the phrase "trials and tribulations," refers to a trying experience. It can also mean "unhappiness, pain, or suffering." // The young, ambitious chef knew of trials and tribulations of opening a new restaurant, but he was ready for the undertaking. // Her son's illness has been a source of great tribulation. See the entry > Examples: "On the road to meet his destiny, Gawain must face a series of fearsome trials, tribulations and temptations as he gradually learns the true nature of chivalry." — Susan Granger, The Westport (Connecticut) News, 13 Aug.2021 Did you know? The writer and Christian scholar Thomas More, in his 1534 work A dialoge of comforte against tribulation, defined the title word as "euery such thing as troubleth and greueth [grieveth] a man either in bodye or mynde." These days, however, the word tribulation is commonly used as a plural noun, paired with trials, and relates less to oppression and more to any kind of uphill struggle. Tribulation comes from a Latin noun meaning "threshing board."