troubling
adjective
trou·bling
ˈtrə-b(ə-)liŋ 
: causing feelings of worry or anxiety
a troubling news report
It's not just trauma survivors who may be distracted or derailed by shocking or troubling material …—
Angus Johnston
Angus Johnston
troublingly
adverb
Examples of troubling in a Sentence
the most troubling sign of all is that he's stopped returning my phone calls
Recent Examples on the Web
Character Technologies alluded to these cases and troubling coverage of them in its statement on blocking underage users from chatting with their bots.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 29 Oct. 2025
Duggan highlighted other troubling numbers, such as Michigan's fall in fourth grade reading scores compared to other states to landing 44th in 2024, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
—Clara Hendrickson, Freep.com, 29 Oct. 2025
Gradually, a palpable discomfort in their relationship comes into focus, a troubling rift that the duo is careful to dance around.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 29 Oct. 2025
Instead, Newsom’s decision sends a troubling message about the state’s commitment to safety and accountability.
—Mohammed Jawad, Mercury News, 28 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for troubling
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 29 Oct. 2025
Duggan highlighted other troubling numbers, such as Michigan's fall in fourth grade reading scores compared to other states to landing 44th in 2024, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
—Clara Hendrickson, Freep.com, 29 Oct. 2025
Gradually, a palpable discomfort in their relationship comes into focus, a troubling rift that the duo is careful to dance around.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 29 Oct. 2025
Instead, Newsom’s decision sends a troubling message about the state’s commitment to safety and accountability.
—Mohammed Jawad, Mercury News, 28 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for troubling
Cite this Entry
“Troubling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/troubling. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share