troubled

adjective

trou·​bled ˈtrə-bəld 

1

a

: concerned, worried

troubled feelings about the decision

b

: exhibiting emotional or behavioral problems

a program for troubled youth

2

: characterized by or indicative of trouble

our troubled cities

troubled times

a gray and troubled sky

Synonyms of troubled

• worried
• anxious
• upset
• nervous
• uneasy

Examples of troubled in a Sentence

She seemed troubled about something.

These have been troubled times.

Recent Examples on the Web

Beyond America’s troubled EV industry, Tesla is doing more than just surviving. — Tim Levin, The Atlantic, 24 July 2026

That can open the door for troubled cops to hop from one police department to another. — Meg Anderson, NPR, 23 July 2026

The former site of a troubled church in Grandview could soon become home to the first pickleball stadium in the Midwest. — Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 23 July 2026

The first Little House television series—which raised its head in likewise troubled times, in the aftermath of Vietnam—also tended to glance over the Native populations the Ingalls family lived on top of. — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 23 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing troubled

• ease someone's (troubled) mind
• guilty/troubled conscience
• pour oil on troubled waters
• troubled waters

Rhymes for troubled

• bubbled
• doubled
• redoubled
• untroubled