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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
Betancur told The Charlotte Observer in an interview Monday morning the encounter was the latest in a series of troubling incidents since his business was thrust into the spotlight during Border Patrol’s November operation in Charlotte. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 24 Aug. 2026 Why criminals are targeting EBT cards This is where things take a troubling turn. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026
Verb
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 But besides defiant behavior or anger issues, there are other behaviors that indicate that something deeper is troubling your teen. — Staff Author, Parents, 9 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
  • Last awards season, the gossip around town, salacious and disturbing in equal measure, was that hotel suites all over Hollywood were populated by tailors taking in gowns coming straight off the runway.
    — Marti Noxon, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The disturbing situation came to light after a tree fell on the home during a storm.
    — Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of disturbing
Verb
  • This was several shades darker, worrying about economic upheaval, social unrest, cyberattacks, bioterrorism—and most important, the failure of experts and governments to take these threats seriously enough.
    — Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Celeste begins worrying about her mother-in-law after her credit cards are declined and her outfits are increasingly out of place, but things begin to click when Mary-Louise gives Max, Josh and Ziggy expensive cars.
    — Matt Minton, Variety, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of worrying
Verb
  • Warchus says the pair spent a couple of years weighing whether to attempt a musical version at all, wary of tampering with a project both are proud of.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The brand's Hydro Rush line (launched in 2023) gets lots of love from natural hair influencers for fulfilling their hair’s hydration needs without weighing it down.
    — Ava Welsing-Kitcher, Allure, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of weighing
Adjective
  • The film follows Niaz (Bakhtadze), a once-famous star of Georgian cinema who embarks on a bizarre and fatalistic odyssey of self-transformation, after an unsettling audition with a young female director looking to cast him in a minor part.
    — Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Learning from the doctor that your cholesterol levels are higher than recommended can be an unsettling wake-up call.
    — Gavin Escott, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of unsettling
Verb
  • Some interns hesitate to contact their former colleagues for fear of bothering them, but most people are eager to help out young talent.
    — Sophie Caldwell, CNBC, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Contreras rarely takes days off but asked for a day off Sunday with his leg bothering him.
    — Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of bothering
Adjective
  • The Freedom 250 Grand Prix circuit has proved to be a treacherous one, and that was highlighted in a frightening crash involving a pair of drivers early in the race.
    — Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 Aug. 2026
  • And because cognition is so closely tied to a person’s sense of competence and identity, those changes can be surprisingly frightening.
    — Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of frightening
Verb
  • 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
  • Apprehensive about inconveniencing others by appointing Truss at Balmoral—a first in her 70-year reign—the monarch consulted her daughter the Princess Royal.
    — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 9 Apr. 2026
Definition of inconveniencing

Browse Nearby Words

troublesome
troubling
troublous
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Troubling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/troubling. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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