trip
gb/tɹˈɪp/ us/tɹˈɪp/
A1
English
~ 1900
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A1
event
1
A journey or excursion
A short journey to go somewhere and return.
Usage pattern:
a trip to [a place]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'trip' with 'travel'. 'Travel' is uncountable when talking about the general activity; 'trip' is countable and refers to a specific journey.
Synonyms
journey (Often refers to longer travel; 'trip' is usually shorter or more casual.)
Antonyms
stay (Refers to remaining in one place instead of traveling.)
Collocations
business trip
|day trip
|school trip
|road trip
|take a trip
Themes
travel
|daily life
|transportation
Examples
- We took a weekend trip to the mountains.
- Her business trip to New York was very productive.
- The children were excited about the school trip to the zoo.
- They planned a road trip across the country.
- I won a free trip to Paris in a contest.
Learner examples
- We went on a trip to the beach.
- My father is on a business trip.
- The class went on a school trip.
- She took a trip to London last year.
- We are planning a trip to the park.
Verb
A2
action
2
Stumble or lose balance while walking
To hit your foot on something and almost fall.
Usage pattern:
to trip over [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'trip' with 'slip'. 'Trip' means catching your foot on something; 'slip' means losing your footing, often on a smooth surface.
Synonyms
stumble (Very close in meaning; 'stumble' may not involve hitting an object.)
Antonyms
walk steadily (To move without losing balance or stumbling.)
Collocations
trip over
|trip and fall
|trip up
Themes
movement
|daily life
|daily_life
|body
Examples
- I tripped over the curb and dropped my coffee.
- Be careful not to trip on that loose wire.
- She tripped and fell while running for the bus.
- He tripped over his own feet during the dance.
- The boy tripped on the uneven pavement.
Learner examples
- I tripped over a rock.
- She tripped on the stairs.
- Be careful, you might trip.
- He tripped and fell in the street.
- I tripped over my bag.
Verb
informal
B1
action
3
Cause someone to stumble or fall
To make someone fall by putting your foot in their way.
Usage pattern:
to trip [someone] (up)
Synonyms
foul (In sports, specifically refers to an illegal move; tripping is one type of foul.)
Antonyms
assist (To help someone move safely instead of causing them to fall.)
Collocations
trip up an opponent
|trip someone intentionally
Themes
movement
|sports
|daily_life
|body
Examples
- The defender was penalized for tripping the striker.
- He accidentally tripped her as they walked through the narrow hallway.
- The comedian joked about tripping his friend during a race.
- She tripped her opponent during the game, earning a foul.
- They warned players not to trip each other.
Learner examples
- He tripped his friend during the game.
- The player was punished for tripping another player.
- She tripped her brother for fun.
- Do not trip people when they walk.
- He tripped me in the hall.
Noun
informal
B2
event
4
Hallucinatory drug experience
Strange sights, sounds, and feelings caused by certain drugs.
Synonyms
hallucination experience (More technical; 'trip' is informal and specific to drug culture.)
Antonyms
sobriety (State of not being under the influence of drugs.)
Collocations
acid trip
|bad trip
Themes
drugs
|psychology
|health
Examples
- He described his first acid trip as life-changing.
- The bad trip left her feeling anxious for days.
- Psychedelic trips can be unpredictable in length and intensity.
- They discussed their trips in a safe environment.
- His trip lasted for nearly eight hours.
Learner examples
- He had a strange trip after taking the drug.
- The bad trip scared him.
- Her first trip was very colorful in her mind.
- He talked about his acid trip.
- The trip made him feel happy then sad.
Grammar
Dictionary form
trip
IPA
GB/tɹˈɪp/
US/tɹˈɪp/
Syllables & stress
trip (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (trip)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: trip
- Plural: trips
Verb
- Base: trip
- 3rd Person Singular: trips
- Present Participle: tripping
- Past: tripped
Word family
Forms
trips
noun
tripping
verb
tripped
verb
Highlights
- Irregular present participle: tripping Verb
- Irregular past: tripped Verb
Expressions
acid trip
1/ˈæsɪd tɹˈɪp/
fixed phrase
informal
LSD hallucination experience
Strange sights, sounds, and feelings caused by LSD.
Examples
- His acid trip lasted for hours.
- She had a bad acid trip that frightened her.
bad trip
1/bˈæd tɹˈɪp/
fixed phrase
informal
Unpleasant psychedelic experience
A scary or uncomfortable drug experience with hallucinations.
Examples
- The bad trip left him anxious for days.
- She avoided taking more after hearing about his bad trip.
trip over
1/tɹˈɪp ˈoʊvɚ/
phrasal verb
Catch your foot and stumble
To hit your foot on something while walking and almost fall.
Examples
- I tripped over the dog’s toy in the hallway.
- She tripped over a cable and dropped her phone.
trip up
1/tɹˈɪp ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
Cause mistake or stumble
To cause someone to make a mistake or to stumble physically.
Examples
- The question was designed to trip up the candidate.
- He tripped up his opponent during the match.
road trip
1/ɹˈoʊd tɹˈɪp/
fixed phrase
Leisure trip by car
A long trip you take in a car for fun.
Examples
- They planned a summer road trip across Europe.
- We’re planning a road trip along the coast this summer.
- Our college friends went on a two-week road trip through the US.
- Their road trip took them through five states.