trouble

1 of 2

noun

trou·​ble ˈtrə-bəl How to pronounce trouble (audio)
plural troubles
1
: the quality or state of being troubled especially mentally
2
: public unrest or disturbance
there's trouble brewing downtown
3
: an instance of trouble
used to disguise her frustrations and despair by making light of her troublesCurrent Biography
4
: a state or condition of distress, annoyance, or difficulty
in trouble with the law
heading for trouble
got into financial trouble
: such as
a
: a condition of physical distress or ill health : ailment
back trouble
heart trouble
b
: a condition of mechanical malfunction
engine trouble
c
: a condition of doing something badly or only with great difficulty
has trouble reading
has trouble breathing
d
dated, informal : the state of being pregnant while unmarried
got a girl in trouble
5
: an effort made : pains
took the trouble to do it right
6
a
: a cause of distress, annoyance, or inconvenience
don't mean to be any trouble
what's the trouble?
b
: a negative feature : drawback
the trouble with you is you're too honest
the main trouble with electronic systems is the overreliance on themJohn Perham
c
: the unhappy or sad fact
the trouble is, I need the money

trouble

2 of 2

verb

troubled; troubling ˈtrə-b(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce trouble (audio)

transitive verb

1
a
: to agitate mentally or spiritually : worry, disturb
b
: to put to exertion or inconvenience
I'm sorry to trouble you
c(1)
: to produce physical disorder in : afflict
troubled by a cold
(2)
archaic : mistreat, oppress
2
: to put into confused motion
the wind troubled the sea

intransitive verb

1
: to become mentally agitated : worry
refused to trouble over trifles
2
: to make an effort : be at pains
did not trouble to come
troubler noun

Examples of trouble in a Sentence

Noun The new system is giving me trouble. He was having trouble with his homework. I had a little trouble finding the place. He had no trouble finding a new job. gangs looking to make trouble When the new CEO arrived, the company was in trouble. She got into trouble with her credit cards. He's always getting in trouble at school. She has been having trouble with her knee. Verb The accusations troubled him deeply. I'm troubled by his strange behavior. I don't mean to trouble you, but I have a question.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The Foxes had little trouble gaining traction in Hollywood. Erik Himmelsbach-Weinstein, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 Evans has also stood by her estranged husband over the years amid legal trouble. Esther Kang, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2024 Chiarello’s car troubles were soon overshadowed, however, by viral images of the aftermath of an accident late Sunday night in which a Cybertruck driver rammed the iconic sign of the Beverly Hills Hotel. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2024 That means pounding one after dinner could increase your risk of having sleep troubles, but sipping on one early in the morning probably won’t have an effect. Kaitlin Vogel, Health, 7 Mar. 2024 The trouble for him is that this characterization is at odds with reality: the United States has bounced back from the global pandemic far stronger than either its European competitors or China, and the country is safer and more prosperous than when Trump was in the White House. Benjamin Wallace-Wells, The New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2024 Sinking sales have sparked troubles for pioneers, like Beyond Meat (BYND), which also has sausage products. Jordan Valinsky, CNN, 6 Mar. 2024 One economist predicted trouble ahead Patrick Anderson, CEO of the Anderson Economic Group consulting firm in East Lansing, has been warning for the past few years that inflation would lead to a few rounds of significant hikes in taxable values for Michigan homeowners. Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, 6 Mar. 2024 And the mood of conservative voters at a pair of Haley rallies ahead of the state’s presidential primary indicates that Trump could be in trouble. Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2024
Verb
That should trouble you Gov. Katie Hobbs may have painted herself into a University of Arizona corner In Arizona, and across the nation, Republicans pushed state-level bills intended to make voting harder. Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, 5 Mar. 2024 The intense opposition has greatly troubled workers’ advocates, many of whom have called on Biden to take more aggressive action to ensure companies do not mischaracterize workers as independent contractors simply to save money — denying them better pay and other rights in the process. Tony Romm, Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2024 The 35-year-old is expected to retire long before troubling James's total. Robbie Griffiths, NPR, 3 Mar. 2024 His teammate Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, never really troubled the front of the race and finished in seventh place. Issy Ronald, CNN, 2 Mar. 2024 We are saddened and troubled by this very serious allegation, and TLC will work cooperatively with the authorities. Sydni Ellis, Peoplemag, 21 Feb. 2024 Now, this shy, self-questioning and clearly troubled teen is counting on a foreign exchange program to make a fresh start, escaping to Leipzig, Germany, to get away from the mean girls back home in Strasbourg, France. Peter Debruge, Variety, 19 Feb. 2024 The example in South Africa of Nelson Mandela, who emerged from decades in prison a hero, troubled Mr. Putin, Mr. Rogov added. Neil MacFarquhar, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2024 Donald Trump and Nikki Haley’s comments on the campaign trail have troubled Manning and others close to Mother Emanuel, many of whom have lobbied for stronger background checks, a policy shift most Americans support, only to meet resistance from conservative leaders. Danielle Paquette, Washington Post, 16 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'trouble.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French trubler, from Vulgar Latin *turbulare, from *turbulus agitated, alteration of Latin turbulentus — more at turbulent

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of trouble was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near trouble

Cite this Entry

“Trouble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trouble. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

trouble

1 of 2 verb
trou·​ble ˈtrəb-əl How to pronounce trouble (audio)
troubled; troubling ˈtrəb-(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce trouble (audio)
1
a
: to disturb or become disturbed mentally or spiritually : worry
her continued absence troubled him
b
: to produce physical disorder in : afflict
troubled with weak knees
c
: to put to exertion or inconvenience
may I trouble you for the salt
2
: to put into confused motion
wind troubled the sea
3
: to make an effort
do not trouble to come

trouble

2 of 2 noun
1
a
: the quality or state of being troubled : misfortune
help people in trouble
b
: an instance of distress or annoyance
made light of their troubles
2
: disorder or public unrest
labor trouble
3
: a state or condition of distress, annoyance, or difficulty
in big financial trouble
: as
a
: physical distress or ill health : ailment
heart trouble
b
: failure to work properly
engine trouble
c
: a condition of doing something badly or with great difficulty
had trouble reading
4
: an effort made : pains
took the trouble to write
5
a
: a cause of distress, annoyance, or inconvenience
don't mean to be any trouble
b
: a negative feature or characteristic
laziness is your biggest trouble
c
: an unpleasant fact
the trouble is, I'm broke

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