troubling

adjective

trou·​bling ˈtrə-b(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce troubling (audio)
: 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

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
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.
There’s a troubling cynicism at work here, in which many alt-travel influencers are following the rightward shift of their young male audiences and creating content to placate them. T. M. Brown, New Yorker, 15 Oct. 2025 Statistical visualizations by data journalist Miriam Quick and senior graphics editor Jen Christiansen illustrate this troubling trend and expose the stark disparities in care. Jeanna Bryner, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2025 Still, the troubling symptoms didn’t disappear. Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025 For the large contingent of RV dwellers who fled Columbus Park before the summer’s large-scale encampment sweep and settled at VTA’s Almaden parking lot, another troubling deadline is looming. Devan Patel, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for troubling

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of troubling was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Troubling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/troubling. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.

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