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

Amber Rudd, Britain’s home secretary at the time, said the poisonings sparked troubling questions. — Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 11 July 2026

Perhaps more troubling, the Stanford study notes, is the fact that so many homeowners are being forced to enroll in the state's FAIR Plan, which is supposed to be the insurer of last resort. — Scott Cohn, CNBC, 10 July 2026

In a statement, DA Clark said the allegations against an NYPD inspector entrusted with the highest standard of integrity were troubling. — Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 10 July 2026

The data, based on the Fed’s Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking (SHED), is troubling for Ullrich, a former senior regional economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond who has spent years studying household economic trends. — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 9 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for troubling

• bubbling
• doubling
• redoubling