troublesome

adjective

trou·​ble·​some ˈtrə-bəl-səm 

1

: difficult, burdensome

a troublesome neighbor

2

: giving trouble or anxiety : vexatious

troublesome news

troublesomely adverb

troublesomeness noun

Synonyms of troublesome

• disturbing
• unsettling
• troubling
• nasty
• frightening

Examples of troublesome in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web

In instances where these agents are acting on behalf of security professionals, rather than malicious invaders, this is actually troublesome as agents are now escaping the bounds of their constraints and potentially causing more harm than good. — Ron Schmelzer, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Wright, who had a troublesome training camp last year, which was capped with a knee injury, delivered a couple of first-down runs during Thursday’s non-padded practice. — Omar Kelly august 6, Miami Herald, 6 Aug. 2026

Shortly after the Los Angeles Dodgers polished off a 4-2 win over the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday night, Shohei Ohtani checked in with the club’s training staff to report further soreness in his troublesome left knee. — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 31 July 2026

This has always been a kind of troublesome event from a point of view of Washington journalism. — David Frum, The Atlantic, 29 July 2026

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