tripping

B2 · Upper Intermediate Slang · Informal

adj. acting in a strange, foolish, or irrational way.

adj. behaving in an irrational, overly emotional, or nonsensical manner. Informal in register.

“You're tripping if you think I'm going to pay fifty dollars for a sandwich.”

“His friends told him he was tripping when he suggested quitting his stable job to become a full-time professional gamer without any savings.”

C1 · Advanced Slang

adj. experiencing the effects of a drug that makes you see or hear things that aren't there.

adj. experiencing a drug-induced hallucination or altered state of consciousness.

“The main character in the movie spent the whole night tripping in the desert.”

“The medical staff had to calm the patient down because he was tripping on an unknown substance and couldn't follow instructions.”

C2 · Proficiency Literary

adj. moving with quick, light, and graceful steps.

adj. characterised by light, nimble, or rhythmic movement, often used in a poetic or descriptive context.

“She moved with a tripping gait across the garden to greet her guests.”

“The poet described the tripping rhythm of the stream as it flowed over the smooth river stones.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun

n. the physical act of catching your foot and stumbling.

n. the action of losing one's footing or the event of stumbling over an object.

“The athlete's sudden tripping cost him the lead in the final lap of the race.”

“Safety inspectors noted that the tripping of employees was a frequent occurrence due to the poorly maintained warehouse floors.”