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

Employees might hesitate to speak up out of fear of retaliation, damaging their reputation, or simply being seen as a troublemaker. —Rhett Power, Forbes.com, 6 July 2025

Even though Spivey admitted to shooting him, the defense portrayed Hambright as a troublemaker and the jury acquitted Spivey of murder. —Jeff Suess, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025

The two opened up to Toronto Life in 2016 about the early days of their relationship, admitting that Matheson had a bit of a reputation as the class clown and troublemaker in their small town. —Avalon Hester, People.com, 26 June 2025

These are the common types of wasps to look out for near your home: Yellowjackets The biggest troublemakers are yellowjackets. —Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 20 June 2025

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