# trip

> English word · Noun · IPA /tɹɪp/ · frequency rank #1,356

## Definitions
1. A journey; an excursion or jaunt.
2. A stumble or misstep.
3. An error; a failure; a mistake.
4. A period of time in which one experiences drug-induced reverie or hallucinations.
5. Intense involvement in or enjoyment of a condition.
6. A faux pas, a social error.
7. A mechanical cutout device.
8. A trip-switch or cut-out.
9. A quick, light step; a lively movement of the feet; a skip.
10. The act of tripping someone, or causing them to lose their footing.
11. A single tack while beating (sailing to windward).

## Etymology
From Middle English trippen (“tread or step lightly and nimbly, skip, dance”), perhaps from Old French triper (“to hop or dance around, strike with the feet”), from a Frankish source; or alternatively from Middle Dutch trippen (“to skip, trip, hop, stamp, trample”) (> Modern Dutch trippelen (“to toddle, patter, trip”)). Akin to Middle Low German trippen ( > Danish trippe (“to trip”), Swedish trippa (“to mince, trip”)), West Frisian tripje (“to toddle, trip”), German trippeln (“to scurry”), Old English treppan (“to trample, tread”). Related also to trap, tramp.

## Easily confused with
- **try** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/trip-vs-try)
- **tru** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/trip-vs-tru)
- **TRP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/trip-vs-trp)
- **tui** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/trip-vs-tui)
- **twp** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/trip-vs-twp)
- **TTP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/trip-vs-ttp)
- **true** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/trip-vs-true)
- **twin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/trip-vs-twin)
- **Troy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/trip-vs-troy)
- **trot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/trip-vs-trot)
- **tris** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/trip-vs-tris)
- **twig** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/trip-vs-twig)
- **twit** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/trip-vs-twit)
- **TTIP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/trip-vs-ttip)
- **trump** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/trip-vs-trump)
- **trips** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/trip-vs-trips)
- **troop** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/trip-vs-troop)
- **Turin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/trip-vs-turin)
- **tulip** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/trip-vs-tulip)
- **trope** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/trip-vs-trope)

## Common misspellings (5)
`rtip`, `tirp`, `trpi`, `trrip`, `ttrip`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/trip