trip

/trɪp/
nounBeginner
informal

a short journey, usually for pleasure

She planned a trip to Europe for her vacation.

She organized a short journey to Europe for her holiday.

💡

Can refer to a journey by any means of transportation.

informal

to stumble or fall due to losing balance

He tripped over the rug and fell.

He stumbled over the rug and fell.

💡

Often used with 'over' or 'on' to indicate the obstacle.

💻Technology
technical

a malfunction or error in a system or device

The system had a trip and shut down unexpectedly.

The system experienced a malfunction and shut down unexpectedly.

💡

Common in electrical or mechanical systems.

Collocations

go on a tripto take a journeytrip overto stumble over somethingday tripa short trip that starts and ends in the same day

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Phrases

trip the light fantasticidiom
to dance
trip upphrasal verb
to cause someone to make a mistake

💡Pro Tip

Context is key

The meaning of 'trip' depends heavily on context. A noun usually refers to a journey, while a verb often means to stumble.

Gold Rule

Noun vs. verb

When 'trip' is a noun, it refers to a journey. When it's a verb, it means to stumble or cause a malfunction.

📖Word Origin

From Middle English 'trippen' (to stumble), possibly from Old Norse 'trippa' (to tread). The noun sense of a journey emerged later.

📝Usage Notes

Can be used as both a noun (a journey) and a verb (to stumble). Context usually clarifies the meaning.

Word Breakdown

trip
to stumble or journey
root
English Dictionary