trouble

[ truhb-uhl ]

/ ˈtrʌb əl /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: trouble / troubled / troubles / troubling on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), trou·bled, trou·bling.

to disturb the mental calm and contentment of; worry; distress; agitate.

to put to inconvenience, exertion, pains, or the like: May I trouble you to shut the door?

to cause bodily pain, discomfort, or disorder to; afflict: to be troubled by arthritis.

to annoy, vex, or bother: Don't trouble her with petty complaints now.

to disturb, agitate, or stir up so as to make turbid, as water or wine: A heavy gale troubled the ocean waters.

verb (used without object), trou·bled, trou·bling.

to put oneself to inconvenience, extra effort, or the like.

to be distressed or agitated mentally; worry: She always troubled over her son's solitariness.

noun

difficulty, annoyance, or harassment: It would be no trouble at all to advise you.

unfortunate or distressing position, circumstance, or occurrence; misfortune: Financial trouble may threaten security.

civil disorder, disturbance, or conflict: political trouble in the new republic; labor troubles.

a physical disorder, disease, ailment, etc.; ill health: heart trouble; stomach trouble.

mental or emotional disturbance or distress; worry: Trouble and woe were her lot in life.

an instance of this: some secret trouble weighing on his mind; a mother who shares all her children's troubles.

effort, exertion, or pains in doing something; inconvenience endured in accomplishing some action, deed, etc.: The results were worth the trouble it took.

an objectionable feature; problem; drawback: The trouble with your proposal is that it would be too costly to implement.

something or someone that is a cause or source of disturbance, distress, annoyance, etc.

a personal habit or trait that is a disadvantage or a cause of mental distress: His greatest trouble is oversensitivity.

the Troubles,

the violence and civil war in Ireland, 1920–22.
the conflict between Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland, beginning in 1969.

OTHER WORDS FOR trouble

1 concern, upset, confuse.

4 pester, plague, fret, torment, hector, harass, badger.

12 concern, grief, agitation, care, suffering.

15 trial, tribulation, affliction, misfortune.

See synonyms for trouble on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR trouble

1 mollify; delight.

See antonyms for trouble on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about trouble

in trouble, Informal. pregnant out of wedlock (used as a euphemism).

Origin of trouble

1175–1225; (v.) Middle English troublen<Old French troubler<Vulgar Latin *turbulare, derivative of *turbulus turbid, back formation from Latin turbulentusturbulent; (noun) Middle English <Middle French, derivative of troubler

synonym study for trouble

14. See care.

OTHER WORDS FROM trouble

trou·bled·ly, adverbtrou·bled·ness, nountroubler, nountrou·bling·ly, adverb

non·trou·bling, adjectiveo·ver·trou·ble, verb, o·ver·trou·bled, o·ver·trou·bling.self-troubled, adjectiveself-troubling, adjectiveun·trou·bled, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use trouble in a sentence

Students who write proofs for the first time can have trouble knowing what they need and understanding the logical structure.
How Close Are Computers to Automating Mathematical Reasoning?|Stephen Ornes|August 27, 2020|Quanta Magazine
On city streets, they can be more trouble than they’re worth.
The right way to walk your dog|John Kennedy|August 26, 2020|Popular-Science
“If we’re selecting for animals that produce more without having a way to cool off, we’re going to run into trouble,” she says.
Biotechnology Could Change the Cattle Industry. Will It Succeed?|Dyllan Furness|August 16, 2020|Singularity Hub
In primary elections over the last few months, states that rapidly expanded mail voting often had trouble delivering ballots to voters on time.
Why We’re Planning For An Election Day That Could Last Months|Nathaniel Rakich (nathaniel.rakich@fivethirtyeight.com)|August 14, 2020|FiveThirtyEight

A prominent North County Republican shouldn’t have this much trouble.
Politics Report: Bry, Lawson-Remer Dominate Fundraising|Scott Lewis and Andrew Keatts|August 8, 2020|Voice of San Diego
Those are troubling numbers, for unfettered speech is not incidental to a flourishing society.
How the PC Police Threaten Free Speech|Nick Gillespie|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
What is most troubling is our – and I do mean “our” and not “their” – never treating these situations as learning opportunities.
In 2015, Let’s Try for More Compassion|Gene Robinson|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Which was sweet and also troubling, because it meant that I have never shut up about wanting to be Peter Pan.
The Cast of ‘Peter Pan Live!’ Knows You Hatewatched ‘The Sound of Music’|Kevin Fallon|December 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
These are two in a laundry list of troubling connections between the two companies.
The Pipeline From Hell: There’s No Good Reason to Build Keystone XL|Jack Holmes|November 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
None of this would be so troubling if the use of zero-days in Stuxnet were an isolated event.
How Obama Endangered Us All With Stuxnet|Kim Zetter|November 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Indeed, indeed, Mr. Spurrell, we couldn't think of troubling you under the circumstances!
Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 107, November 3, 1894|Various
I am very much obliged for your continued favours, and beg pardon for so often troubling you.
Life of Richard Trevithick, Volume II (of 2)|Francis Trevithick
As he was bowing his farewell, a sudden impulse to speak, and set the matter that was troubling her at rest, came over her.
Elster's Folly|Mrs. Henry Wood
These gentlemen respected me for myself alone without troubling their heads about my ancestors.
A Woman's Journey Round the World|Ida Pfeiffer
His robe was handed back to him, and he was left to lie there, no one troubling himself further about him.
The Border Rifles|Gustave Aimard

British Dictionary definitions for trouble

trouble

/ (ˈtrʌbəl) /

noun

a state or condition of mental distress or anxiety

a state or condition of disorder or unrestindustrial trouble

a condition of disease, pain, or malfunctioningshe has liver trouble

a cause of distress, disturbance, or pain; problemwhat is the trouble?

effort or exertion taken to do somethinghe took a lot of trouble over this design

liability to suffer punishment or misfortune (esp in the phrase be in trouble)he's in trouble with the police

a personal quality that is regarded as a weakness, handicap, or cause of annoyancehis trouble is that he's too soft

(plural)

political unrest or public disturbances
the Troubles political violence in Ireland during the 1920s or in Northern Ireland between the late 1960s and the late 1990s

the condition of an unmarried girl who becomes pregnant (esp in the phrase in trouble)

verb

(tr) to cause trouble to; upset, pain, or worry

(intr usually with a negative and foll by about) to put oneself to inconvenience; be concerneddon't trouble about me

(intr; usually with a negative) to take pains; exert oneselfplease don't trouble to write everything down

(tr) to cause inconvenience or discomfort todoes this noise trouble you?

(tr; usually passive) to agitate or make roughthe seas were troubled

(tr) Caribbean to interfere withhe wouldn't like anyone to trouble his new bicycle

Derived forms of trouble

troubled, adjectivetroubler, noun

Word Origin for trouble

C13: from Old French troubler, from Vulgar Latin turbulāre (unattested), from Late Latin turbidāre, from turbidus confused, from turba commotion

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with trouble

trouble

In addition to the idioms beginning with trouble

trouble one's head with
trouble someone for

also see:

borrow trouble
fish in troubled waters
go to the trouble
in trouble with
pour oil on troubled waters

trouble

OTHER WORDS FOR trouble

OPPOSITES FOR trouble

Idioms about trouble

Origin of trouble

synonym study for trouble

OTHER WORDS FROM trouble

Words related to trouble

How to use trouble in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for trouble

Derived forms of trouble

Word Origin for trouble

Other Idioms and Phrases with trouble