trouble
Use Trouble in a sentence
əl verb (used with object)
1.
to disturb the mental calm and contentment of; worry; distress; agitate.
2.
to put to inconvenience, exertion, pains, or the like: May I trouble you to shut the door?
3.
to cause bodily pain, discomfort, or disorder to; afflict: to be troubled by arthritis.
4.
to annoy, vex, or bother: Don't trouble her with petty complaints now.
5.
to disturb, agitate, or stir up so as to make turbid, as water or wine: A heavy gale troubled the ocean waters.
verb (used without object)
6.
to put oneself to inconvenience, extra effort, or the like.
7.
to be distressed or agitated mentally; worry: She always troubled over her son's solitariness.
00:10
Trouble
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is subtilize. Does it mean:
| to introduce subtleties into or argue subtly about. |
| to spend time idly; loaf. |
noun
Idioms 8.
difficulty, annoyance, or harassment: It would be no trouble at all to advise you.
9.
unfortunate or distressing position, circumstance, or occurrence; misfortune: Financial trouble may threaten security.
10.
civil disorder, disturbance, or conflict: political trouble in the new republic; labor troubles.
11.
a physical disorder, disease, ailment, etc.; ill health: heart trouble; stomach trouble.
12.
mental or emotional disturbance or distress; worry: Trouble and woe were her lot in life.
13.
an instance of this: some secret trouble weighing on his mind; a mother who shares all her children's troubles.
14.
effort, exertion, or pains in doing something; inconvenience endured in accomplishing some action, deed, etc.: The results were worth the trouble it took.
15.
an objectionable feature; problem; drawback: The trouble with your proposal is that it would be too costly to implement.
16.
something or someone that is a cause or source of disturbance, distress, annoyance, etc.
17.
a personal habit or trait that is a disadvantage or a cause of mental distress: His greatest trouble is oversensitivity.
18.
the Troubles.
a.
the violence and civil war in Ireland, 1920–22.
b.
the conflict between Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland, beginning in 1969.
19.
in trouble, Informal. pregnant out of wedlock (used as a euphemism).
Origin:
1175–1225; (v.) Middle English troublen < Old French troubler < Vulgar Latin *turbulare, derivative of *turbulus turbid, back formation from Latin turbulentus turbulent; (noun) Middle English < Middle French, derivative of troubler
1175–1225; (v.) Middle English troublen < Old French troubler < Vulgar Latin *turbulare, derivative of *turbulus turbid, back formation from Latin turbulentus turbulent; (noun) Middle English < Middle French, derivative of troubler
Related forms
trou·bled·ly, adverb
trou·bled·ness, noun
trou·bler, noun
trou·bling·ly, adverb
non·trou·bling, adjective
o·ver·trou·ble, verb, o·ver·trou·bled, o·ver·trou·bling.
self-trou·bled, adjective
self-trou·bling, adjective
un·trou·bled, adjective
Synonyms
1. concern, upset, confuse. 4. pester, plague, fret, torment, hector, harass, badger. 12. concern, grief, agitation, care, suffering. 14. See care. 15. trial, tribulation, affliction, misfortune.
1. concern, upset, confuse. 4. pester, plague, fret, torment, hector, harass, badger. 12. concern, grief, agitation, care, suffering. 14. See care. 15. trial, tribulation, affliction, misfortune.
Antonyms
1. mollify; delight.
1. mollify; delight.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To Trouble
Collins
World English Dictionary
trouble (ˈtrʌbəl) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | a state or condition of mental distress or anxiety |
| 2. | a state or condition of disorder or unrest: industrial trouble |
| 3. | a condition of disease, pain, or malfunctioning: she has liver trouble |
| 4. | a cause of distress, disturbance, or pain; problem: what is the trouble? |
| 5. | effort or exertion taken to do something: he took a lot of trouble over this design |
| 6. | liability to suffer punishment or misfortune (esp in the phrase be in trouble): he's in trouble with the police |
| 7. | a personal quality that is regarded as a weakness, handicap, or cause of annoyance: his trouble is that he's too soft |
| 8. | (plural) |
| a. political unrest or public disturbances | |
| b. the Troubles political violence in Ireland during the 1920s or in Northern Ireland between the late 1960s and the late 1990s | |
| 9. | the condition of an unmarried girl who becomes pregnant (esp in the phrase in trouble) |
| —vb (usually with a negative and foll by about) | |
| 10. | (tr) to cause trouble to; upset, pain, or worry |
| 11. | to put oneself to inconvenience; be concerned: don't trouble about me |
| 12. | (intr; |
| 13. | (tr) to cause inconvenience or discomfort to: does this noise trouble you? |
| 14. | (tr; usually passive) to agitate or make rough: the seas were troubled |
| 15. | (Caribbean) (tr) to interfere with: he wouldn't like anyone to trouble his new bicycle |
| [C13: from Old French troubler, from Vulgar Latin turbulāre (unattested), from Late Latin turbidāre, from turbidus confused, from turba commotion] | |
| 'troubled | |
| —adj | |
| 'troubler | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
trouble
early 13c., from O.Fr. trubler (11c.), metathesis of turbler, from V.L. *turbulare, from L.L. turbidare "to trouble, make turbid," from L. turbidus (see turbid). The noun is attested from early 13c.; troublesome is attested by 1540s. Troubled in ref. to waters, etc., is from
late 14c. A trouble-shooter (1905) was originally one who works on telegraph or telephone lines. The Troubles in ref. to times of violence and unrest in Ireland is attested from 1880, in ref. to the rebellion of 1640s.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases
trouble
In addition to the idioms beginning with trouble, also see borrow trouble; fish in troubled waters; go to the trouble; in trouble with; pour oil on troubled waters.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
Example sentences
However, it is great that someone finally put effort into making the letters that usually trouble dyslexics more discernible.
Computers have great trouble deciphering voices that are speaking simultaneously.
The older one has been through fire and back, the younger one can't stay out of trouble.
The trouble is, it's worse than your phone in almost every way.
Idioms & Phrases
Nearby Words
Synonyms
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