troublesome

adjective

trou·​ble·​some ˈtrə-bəl-səm 

1

: difficult, burdensome

2

: giving trouble or anxiety : vexatious

troublesome news

troublesomely adverb

troublesomeness noun

Synonyms

• discomforting
• discomposing
• disquieting
• distressing
• disturbing
• nagging
• nasty
• perturbing
• troubling
• troublous
• unsettling
• upsetting
• worrisome

Examples of troublesome in a Sentence

the troublesome news that there will be more cuts in the school budget

Recent Examples on the Web

Not surprisingly, its 2025 proxy statement reveals the toxic governance triumvirate – incentives, incompetence and indifference – that lures troublesome attention from both hackers and activists. —Noah Barsky, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025

The big screen has played host to a never-ending spate of troublesome man-eating sharks ever since Steven Spielberg's killer-fish spectacle. —Brian Truitt, USA Today, 16 June 2025

These and other metabolic disorders generate a troublesome immune response—inflammation—that worsens metabolism still further. —Smithsonian Magazine, 12 June 2025

Analysts have pegged the brand’s reliance on classic silhouettes such as the Air Force 1, Air Jordan 1 and Dunk as troublesome. —Riley Jones, Footwear News, 8 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1542, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

troublesome

adjective

trou·​ble·​some ˈtrəb-əl-səm 

1

: requiring or involving continued or tiring effort, attention, or study : difficult, burdensome

a troublesome task

2

: giving trouble or anxiety

troublesome news

troublesomely adverb