troublemaker

1 of 2

noun (1)

trou·​ble·​mak·​er ˈtrə-bəl-ˌmā-kər 

: a person who consciously or unconsciously causes trouble

troublemaking

ˈtrə-bəl-ˌmā-kiŋ 

adjective or noun

troublemaking

2 of 2

noun (2)

: the behavior of a troublemaker

Examples of troublemaker in a Sentence

Noun (1)

He had the reputation of being a troublemaker in high school.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Speaking at the 9/11 memorial ceremony, the son of one of the victims, in an impassioned plea, called on troublemakers to stop using the day to spread Islamophobia and hate. — Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 11 Sep. 2026

The alleged spending was so lavish that the judge overseeing Lam's initial court appearance in Miami invoked a famous Hollywood troublemaker after hearing a prosecutor describe it. — Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 7 Sep. 2026

And all you Chicken Jockey popcorn-throwing troublemakers — your impact on moviedom has been swept from the theater. — Chris Lee, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2026

In fact, in the early days of Trumpism’s rise the South Carolina Senator attempted to block it from taking hold of a party that, just eight years earlier, had once been helmed by Graham’s best friend and fellow Senate troublemaker John McCain. — Philip Elliott, Time, 28 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun (1)

circa 1914, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for troublemaker

• automaker
• boilermaker
• cabinetmaker
• coffeemaker
• undertaker
• blackacre
• caretaker
• clockmaker
• dressmaker
• filmmaker
• homemaker
• icebreaker

Kids Definition

troublemaker

noun

trou·​ble·​mak·​er ˈtrəb-əl-ˌmā-kər 

: a person who causes problems or disagreements