troubling 1 of 2

adjective

ˈtrə-b(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce troubling (audio)
Definition of troublingnext
as in disturbing
causing worry or anxiety the most troubling sign of all is that he's stopped returning my phone calls

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

troubling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of trouble
1
as in worrying
to experience concern or anxiety don't trouble about me—I'll be fine

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2
as in weighing
to cause discomfort to or trouble for I hate to trouble you, but would you mind moving for a minute so I can sweep under your chair?

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of troubling
Adjective
Critics warn that the law will exacerbate a troubling affordability crisis in Miami-Dade, where more than half of county households are already living paycheck to paycheck. — Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2026 And in these most troubling of ages, when artificial intelligence threatens our very existence and truth has become a battleground, the star wants to offer a salve, if not salvation. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 29 Sep. 2026
Verb
My mother’s rheumatism was troubling her, and Betsy stayed home to keep her company. — Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026 The touching moment was shared on the TikTok account @rosiethestaffygirl, capturing the instant Rosie—a Staffordshire bull terrier rescue—worked up the nerve to confront something that had clearly been troubling her. — Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for troubling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for troubling
  1. disturbing
  2. worrying
  3. weighing
  4. unsettling
  5. bothering
  6. frightening
  7. inconveniencing
Adjective
  • Brian had written down the recipe, and, in his back shed, Michael, with the eventual assistance of Kasey, sets about following it into strange and disturbing territory.
    — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Artificial’s timeliness in that regard is striking, even disturbing.
    — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of disturbing
Verb
  • With early voting already underway, a question worrying some voters is what role — if any — immigration enforcement officers might have at polling places through Election Day.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Cloud computing let businesses add capacity without worrying much about what sat behind it.
    — Anthony Milewski, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of worrying
Verb
  • Emergency physicians are constantly weighing probability, risk, and the consequences of waiting.
    — Dara Kass, Washington Post, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Gill was described as 5-foot-3, weighing 137 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.
    — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of weighing
Adjective
  • In lieu of an interview, Gibney created an unsettling digital avatar of Musk that says things the real Musk actually uttered.
    — Sheelah Kolhatkar, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Its aggressively artificial imagery evokes the kind of AI-slop, dreamcore videos that tend to populate social media these days, thrusting the audience into increasingly unsettling spaces that seem generated from a stranger’s hazy childhood.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of unsettling
Verb
  • The goal is not to solve what’s bothering you but to let the thoughts move through.
    — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Lane Kiffin will stroll off the LSU bus later this afternoon, acting as if none of the noise is bothering him.
    — Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of bothering
Adjective
  • Josh, much of the social media conversation around people seeing The Odyssey in theaters was about the frightening Other Mommy trailer playing ahead of it.
    — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026
  • My Broken Brain follows three young survivors through the most frightening days of their lives and the grueling journey back to independence.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of frightening
Verb
  • Chatfield asked the Los Angeles Times in 1997 in response to criticism from community members and some local officials who pegged his nonprofit as inconveniencing residents by helping homeless people.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The government said Khan’s supporters had begun gathering outside the private hospital in violation of the court order, which required them to stay away from the medical facility to avoid inconveniencing other patients.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of inconveniencing

Browse Nearby Words

troublesome
troubling
troublous
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Cite this Entry

“Troubling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/troubling. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

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