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

And then there’s that bag stuffed with cash and drugs, the real troublemaker. — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2026

Climate troublemaker El Niño can cause heat waves, droughts and flooding around the world. — Doyle Rice, USA Today, 12 Mar. 2026

Retaliation can include being assigned to a station far from home, passed up for promotions or labeled a troublemaker. — Alene Tchekmedyian, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026

Jodie Whittaker, who portrays Daniel's troublemaker sister Lizzy, has a family of her own off-screen. — Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 10 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