troublemaker

noun

trou·​ble·​mak·​er ˈtrə-bəl-ˌmā-kər How to pronounce troublemaker (audio)
: a person who consciously or unconsciously causes trouble
troublemaking 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 Yet, the monkey proves to be the ultimate troublemaker, as Sun Wukong insults popular gods of the Chinese pantheon and insists on besting them in magical battles. Michael Naparstek, The Conversation, 23 Sep. 2024 But Julius, a drifting troublemaker who was never one to stay in a single place for too long, couldn’t bring himself to stick to the plan. Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 7 Sep. 2024 And there’s another troublemaker with a sweet tooth. Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2024 As late as 1957, when a group of six Black students held a sit-in protesting segregation at a Durham ice cream parlor, many of Black Durham’s elders deemed them troublemakers. Victor Luckerson, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for troublemaker 

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

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1914, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of troublemaker was circa 1914

Dictionary Entries Near troublemaker

Cite this Entry

“Troublemaker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/troublemaker. Accessed 7 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

troublemaker

noun
trou·​ble·​mak·​er ˈtrəb-əl-ˌmā-kər How to pronounce troublemaker (audio)
: a person who causes problems or disagreements
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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