tribulation

 
Pronunciation: /ˌtrɪbjʊˈleɪʃ(ə)n/

noun

(usually tribulations)
  • a cause of great trouble or suffering: the tribulations of being a megastar
  • [mass noun] a state of great trouble or suffering: his time of tribulation was just beginning

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'