adjective
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causing a great deal of trouble; worrying, upsetting, or annoying
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characterized by violence; turbulent
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of troublesome
Explanation
If something is troublesome, it annoys you or gives you difficulty. Your troublesome old car, for example, might be unreliable and have a history of breaking down at the most inconvenient moments. Use the adjective troublesome to describe things — or people — that are worrisome or inconvenient. A troublesome stomach virus will keep you home from work, and a troublesome teenager is a constant source of anxiety and frustration for his parents. The word troublesome adds the suffix some, "tending to or causing," to trouble, which has a Latin Latin root, turbidare, "make trouble or make turbid." Turbid, by the way, means "muddy or full of confusion."
Vocabulary lists containing troublesome
Similes from Top AP English Exam Novels
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Sarah, Plain and Tall
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Sounder
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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.
When we lift up the one, it’s troublesome to consider the other.
From Slate ● Jul. 10, 2026
And on Wednesday, they rid themselves of two troublesome streaks in a single evening.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
Usually, the one reaching out for help is the sibling tasked with holding power of attorney or serving as executor of an estate, and who is being hectored by a troublesome sibling.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
Jamie Smith barely did a wicketkeeping drill in Australia, yet has been worked hard by Sarah Taylor, who on Tuesday was also teaching a throwing technique to Josh Tongue to help with his troublesome shoulder.
From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026
From across the ocean I’d heard her beckoning, as if I were a troublesome calf who’d wandered from her herd.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
