ENGLISH
REFERENCE

tripping

v. · adj. · n.
US //ˈtɹɪpɪŋ// UK //tɹˈɪpɪŋ// trip·ping
  1. 1 losing balance (v.)
    A2 Elementary

    to catch your foot on something and almost fall while walking or running.

    the present participle of 'trip', describing the act of catching one's foot on an obstacle and losing balance.

    Example

    He wasn't looking where he was going and ended up tripping over a loose rug.

    Example

    Tripping over the uneven pavement, the courier narrowly avoided dropping the fragile package he was carrying.
  2. 2 acting crazy (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Slang Informal

    acting in a strange, foolish, or irrational way.

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

    Example

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

    Example

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

    Teacher's tip

    This sense is very common in modern American English to call out someone for being unrealistic or dramatic.
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  1. 3 on drugs (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Slang

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

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

    Example

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

    Example

    The medical staff had to calm the patient down because he was tripping on an unknown substance and couldn't follow instructions.
  2. 4 moving lightly (adj.)
    C2 Proficiency Literary

    moving with quick, light, and graceful steps.

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

    Example

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

    Example

    The poet described the tripping rhythm of the stream as it flowed over the smooth river stones.
  3. 5 the act of stumbling (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    the physical act of catching your foot and stumbling.

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

    Example

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

    Example

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

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