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

troublingly adverb

Synonyms of troubling

• disturbing
• unsettling
• frightening

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

To battle the troubling trend, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney created a partnership with 20 big-name box stores to crack down on the shoplifting ring. —Carolyn Gusoff, CBS News, 8 June 2026

But the staffers there, the correspondents who have been fired, many CBS news veterans say that this is really troubling, unsettling, maybe even politically motivated. —Zulekha Nathoo, USA Today, 8 June 2026

The attack comes as the NYPD investigates a troubling string of chilling assaults against older New Yorkers. —Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 5 June 2026

Authorities have not classified the incident as a hate crime, though Trent said the circumstances were troubling given the location and the nature of the materials that were targeted. —Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 5 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for troubling

• bubbling
• doubling
• redoubling