troublesome

adjective

trou·​ble·​some ˈtrə-bəl-səm 

1

: difficult, burdensome

a troublesome neighbor

2

: giving trouble or anxiety : vexatious

troublesome news

troublesomely adverb

troublesomeness noun

Synonyms of troublesome

• disturbing
• unsettling
• troubling
• nasty
• frightening

Examples of troublesome in a Sentence

the troublesome news that there will be more cuts in the school budget

Recent Examples on the Web

Some oil tankers have made their way through the strait, but LNG tankers are a more troublesome target, according to Robin Mills, a non-resident fellow at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy and CEO of Qamar Energy. — Lauren Morganbesser, semafor.com, 22 Sep. 2026

Antibiotic overuse remains common for other conditions of later life, too, including the kind of urinary tract infections that cause no troublesome symptoms and upper respiratory infections that are typically viral, not bacterial. — Paula Span, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2026

In Bad Apples, Maria ends up accidentally taking and locking her troublesome student, Danny, in her home following a series of questionable decisions and a desperate moment. — Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2026

That is, they're probably designed to knock out key systems of adversary satellites rather than destroy the entire spacecraft (which would create a cloud of potentially troublesome debris). — Mike Wall, Space.com, 16 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1542, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

troublesome

adjective

trou·​ble·​some ˈtrəb-əl-səm 

1

: requiring or involving continued or tiring effort, attention, or study : difficult, burdensome

a troublesome task

2

: giving trouble or anxiety

troublesome news

troublesomely adverb