trip

The word “trip” means a journey, especially for pleasure or a specific purpose. In plain terms, most often a journey somewhere — but also to stumble physically, or to set off a switch or alarm.

“Trip” is pronounced trihp (/tɹɪp/ in IPA).

Here is “trip” used in a sentence: “They planned a trip to Japan for the spring.”

Depending on how it is used, “trip” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “trip” comes from Old French. From Middle English trippen ("to step lightly, skip"), possibly via Old French triper or Middle Dutch trippen.

“Trip” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

“Trip” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a journey, especially for pleasure or a specific purpose.

A trip usually refers to the whole outing, often shorter and centred on a destination or purpose, and it typically implies coming back — a day trip, a business trip. A journey emphasises the act of travelling itself and can be long or even figurative, as in a life journey. Every trip involves a journey.

A trip is the act of travelling somewhere for a purpose, while a holiday, or vacation, is time set aside for rest and enjoyment. A holiday often includes a trip, but you can take a business trip that is no holiday at all, or holiday at home without any trip at all.

Common kinds include a road trip taken by car, a day trip completed within a single day, a business trip made for work, a field trip organised for study, and a round trip that returns to the starting point. The word is flexible, so almost any purpose — shopping, camping, sightseeing — can name the trip.

You might say, 'We're planning a trip to the coast this weekend,' or 'The school organised a trip to the museum.' The word suits any journey made for pleasure or a set purpose, whether it lasts a few hours or several weeks, close to home or far abroad.