trouble

[truhb-uhl]

verb (used with object)

troubled, troubling 

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

   Synonyms: confuse, upset, concern
   Antonyms: delight, mollify

2. to put to inconvenience, exertion, pains, or the like.

   May I trouble you to shut the door?

3. to cause bodily pain, discomfort, or disorder to; afflict.

   to be troubled by arthritis.

4. to annoy, vex, or bother.

   Don't trouble her with petty complaints now.

   Synonyms: badger, harass, hector, torment, fret, plague, pester

5. 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)

troubled, troubling 

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

2. to be distressed or agitated mentally; worry.

   She always troubled over her son's solitariness.

noun

1. difficulty, annoyance, or harassment.

   It would be no trouble at all to advise you.

2. unfortunate or distressing position, circumstance, or occurrence; misfortune.

   Financial trouble may threaten security.

3. civil disorder, disturbance, or conflict.

   political trouble in the new republic; labor troubles.

4. a physical disorder, disease, ailment, etc.; ill health.

   heart trouble; stomach trouble.

5. mental or emotional disturbance or distress; worry.

   Trouble and woe were her lot in life.

   Synonyms: suffering, care, agitation, grief, concern

6. an instance of this.

   some secret trouble weighing on his mind; a mother who shares all her children's troubles.

7. effort, exertion, or pains in doing something; inconvenience endured in accomplishing some action, deed, etc..

   The results were worth the trouble it took.

8. an objectionable feature; problem; drawback.

   The trouble with your proposal is that it would be too costly to implement.

   Synonyms: tribulation, trial, misfortune, affliction

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

10. a personal habit or trait that is a disadvantage or a cause of mental distress.

    His greatest trouble is oversensitivity.

11. the Troubles,

    1. the violence and civil war in Ireland, 1920–22.

    2. the conflict between Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland, beginning in 1969.

trouble

/ ˈtrʌbəl /

noun

1. a state or condition of mental distress or anxiety

2. a state or condition of disorder or unrest

   industrial trouble

3. a condition of disease, pain, or malfunctioning

   she has liver trouble

4. a cause of distress, disturbance, or pain; problem

   what is the trouble?

5. effort or exertion taken to do something

   he took a lot of trouble over this design

6. liability to suffer punishment or misfortune (esp in the phrase be in trouble )

   he's in trouble with the police

7. a personal quality that is regarded as a weakness, handicap, or cause of annoyance

   his trouble is that he's too soft

8. (plural)

   1. political unrest or public disturbances

   2. political violence in Ireland during the 1920s or in Northern Ireland between the late 1960s and the late 1990s

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

verb

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

2. to put oneself to inconvenience; be concerned

   don't trouble about me

3. (intr; usually with a negative) to take pains; exert oneself

   please don't trouble to write everything down

4. (tr) to cause inconvenience or discomfort to

   does this noise trouble you?

5. (tr; usually passive) to agitate or make rough

   the seas were troubled

6. (tr) to interfere with

   he wouldn't like anyone to trouble his new bicycle

Other Word Forms

• troubler noun
• troubled adjective
• troubledly adverb
• troubledness noun
• troublingly adverb
• nontroubling adjective
• overtrouble verb
• self-troubled adjective
• self-troubling adjective
• untroubled adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of trouble¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; (for the verb) Middle English troublen, from Old French troubler, from Vulgar Latin turbulāre (unrecorded), derivative of turbulus (unrecorded) “turbid,” back formation from Latin turbulentus “restless, unruly”; noun derivative of the verb; turbulent

Word History and Origins

Origin of trouble¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

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

More idioms and phrases containing trouble

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

Synonym Study

See care.

Example Sentences

He was having trouble walking when Troop 26 arrived.

From Los Angeles Times

But what should concern him isn’t the Republicans who no longer like him or the Democrats who have trouble beating him.

From Salon

"We have to focus on the savings because regrettably the finances of this country are in terrible, terrible trouble," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

From BBC

In March 2025, he said his Milan show aimed to pour oil on the troubled waters of global politics.

From BBC

Democrats have voters too — and they need to see their leaders in Washington making some “good trouble” for Republicans, even if it’s risky.

From Salon

Related Words

• anxiety 
• concern 
• danger 
• difficulty 
• dilemma 
• disorder 
• disturbance 
• inconvenience 
• mess 
• pain 
• predicament 
• problem 
• strain 
• stress 
• strife 
• struggle 
• suffering 
• unrest 
• woe