troublemaker

noun

trou·​ble·​mak·​er ˈtrə-bəl-ˌmā-kər 

: a person who consciously or unconsciously causes trouble

troublemaking

ˈtrə-bəl-ˌmā-kiŋ 

adjective or noun

Examples of troublemaker in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web

This year’s milestone edition furthers that legacy by pairing foundational film voices with the next generation of artistic troublemakers. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 2 July 2026

To help boost those numbers, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWCC) recently released a brief PSA video advising on the best ways to locate and dispatch the ongoing troublemakers. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 2 July 2026

The book looked at the world of a swath of Irish women emigrants who were deemed troublemakers, highlighting that for a period of time, Irish women outnumbered Irish men in prison. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 30 June 2026

Make room, Reacher — there's another troublemaker (and solver) on the scene looking to take down some big bads. — Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 30 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

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