troubled

adjective

trou·​bled ˈtrə-bəld How to pronounce troubled (audio)
1
a
: concerned, worried
troubled feelings about the decision
b
: exhibiting emotional or behavioral problems
a program for troubled youth
2
: characterized by or indicative of trouble
our troubled cities
a gray and troubled sky

Examples of troubled in a Sentence

She seemed troubled about something. These have been troubled times.
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.
Looking for role models, troubled young men find Andrew Tate. Jay Stahl, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025 Laporta has repeatedly said that returning to the Camp Nou, which will have a capacity of 105,000 when finished, as soon as possible is crucial to boosting their troubled finances. Pol Ballus, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025 In the backdrop, Amin, her troubled addict brother, played by Tahar Rahim, floats in and out of their lives. Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2025 What most troubled Jernigan, in the wake of the shooting, was the eerie silence above him about what had taken place. Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for troubled

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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

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Cite this Entry

“Troubled.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/troubled. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.

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