trouble
verb (used with object)
to disturb the mental calm and contentment of; worry; distress; agitate.
had been troubling
-
past perfect progressiveof trouble.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The hand pain, caused by a bone very close to her wrists, had been troubling her since the end of the 2022 season.
From BBC ● Nov. 13, 2023
“This whole country’s going to hell,” McGuire said, and now there were tears in his eyes, and he was thinking about the thing that had been troubling him most during the past few days.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 17, 2018
The destruction caused by industrial-scale giant-clam harvesting could explain a contradiction that had been troubling marine biologists who study the South China Sea.
From Time ● Jun. 1, 2016
Sherrod said the past seven weeks had been troubling for John Crawford IV, her one-year-old grandson.
From The Guardian ● Sep. 29, 2014
Suddenly, under Mercy’s friendly smile, the question that had been troubling her all the morning burst out.
From "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" by Elizabeth George Speare
