troublesome

adjective

trou·​ble·​some ˈtrə-bəl-səm How to pronounce troublesome (audio)
Synonyms of troublesomenext
1
: difficult, burdensome
2
: giving trouble or anxiety : vexatious
troublesome news
troublesomely adverb
troublesomeness noun

Synonyms

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of troublesome in a Sentence

the troublesome news that there will be more cuts in the school budget
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.
The instruments aboard Firefly's lander include a subsurface drill, an X-ray imager, and an experimental electrodynamic dust shield to test methods of repelling troublesome lunar dust from accumulating on sensitive spacecraft components. — Kristin Shaw, Ars Technica, 27 Feb. 2025 What’s new in season eight is the show’s shift toward depicting phones as active and troublesome disrupters of a relationship that might have otherwise been perfectly fine. — Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2025 This was most troublesome in relation to the primary character witnesses: the defendants’ current and former girlfriends, wives, and partners. — Katie Ebner-Landy, The New Yorker, 22 Feb. 2025 So far, these two troublesome and filthy strangers haven’t found any takers, but Baucis and Philemon welcome them in, no questions asked. — Hannah Gold, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for troublesome

Word History

First Known Use

1542, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of troublesome was in 1542

Browse Nearby Words

troublesome
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Troublesome.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/troublesome. Accessed 11 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

troublesome

adjective
trou·​ble·​some ˈtrəb-əl-səm How to pronounce troublesome (audio)
1
: requiring or involving continued or tiring effort, attention, or study : difficult, burdensome
a troublesome task
2
: giving trouble or anxiety
troublesome news
troublesomely adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on troublesome

Nglish: Translation of troublesome for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Words You Always Have to Look Up
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

13 Unusually Long English Words

9 Superb Owl Words

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things
See More

Popular Features

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

13 Unusually Long English Words

9 Superb Owl Words
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
girl-pencil-test
Challenging Standardized Test Words Quiz Vol. 3 You’re on your own for the math section.
See All