# trip

/ˈtɹɪp/ (US) · /tɹˈɪp/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/trip
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. a journey

noun · CEFR A1

a journey to a place and back again, often for pleasure or a specific purpose.

For teachers: a journey or excursion, typically of relatively short duration, involving a return to the point of origin.

- We are planning a business trip to New York next month.
- The school organized an educational trip to the science museum to supplement the students' physics curriculum.

### 2. a stumble

noun · CEFR B1

the act of catching your foot on something and almost falling.

For teachers: an instance of losing one's balance by striking the foot against an object.

- A small trip on the uneven pavement was enough to hurt his ankle.
- A momentary trip on the loose carpet caused her to drop the tray of glasses.

### 3. drug experience

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal · Slang

the period of time when someone is having hallucinations after taking a drug.

For teachers: a period of drug-induced altered consciousness or hallucination.

- He described the strange visions he had during his bad trip.
- The novel vividly depicts the protagonist's psychedelic trip through a series of surreal and disjointed metaphors.

### 4. to stumble

verb · CEFR A2

to catch your foot on something and fall or lose your balance.

For teachers: to catch one's foot on an obstacle and stumble or fall. Often used with 'over' or 'up'.

- Be careful not to trip over those cables on the floor.
- He tripped on the bottom step and narrowly avoided a serious injury by grabbing the handrail.

### 5. to activate a switch

verb · CEFR B2 · Technical

to move a switch or handle that turns a machine or light on or off.

For teachers: to activate a mechanism, especially a safety switch or an explosive device.

- The alarm will trip if anyone tries to open the window.
- The circuit breaker tripped automatically when the power surge hit the building's electrical system.

### 6. to overreact

verb · CEFR C1 · Slang · American English

to get very upset or angry about something that is not important.

For teachers: to react in an exaggerated or irrational manner to a situation.

- Stop tripping, I was only five minutes late.
- He started tripping when he saw the small scratch on his car, even though it was barely visible.

### 7. three of a kind

adjective · CEFR C2 · Slang

in card games, having three cards of the same value.

For teachers: referring to a hand containing three cards of the same rank.

- He won the poker hand with a trip of aces.
- The player revealed a trip of queens, effectively beating the opponent's high pair.

## Examples

- We are planning a weekend trip to the mountains.
- The company paid for his business trip to Tokyo to meet with the new clients.
- While the initial trip was intended as a brief scouting mission, the team discovered enough evidence to justify a full-scale archaeological excavation the following year.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.