English
trouble
Etymology

Verb is from Middle English troublen, trublen, turblen, troblen, borrowed from Old French troubler, trobler, trubler, metathetic variants of tourbler, torbler, turbler, from Vulgar Latin *turbulō, from Latin turbula, diminutive of turba ("stir; crowd").

Pronunciation
  • (RP) enPR: trŭbʹəl; IPA: /ˈtɹʌb(ə)l/
  • (America) IPA: /ˈtɹʌb(ə)l/, /ˈtɹə-/
Noun

trouble

  1. A distressing or dangerous situation.
    He was in trouble when the rain started.
  2. A difficulty, problem, condition, or action contributing to such a situation.
    The trouble was a leaking brake line.
    The bridge column magnified the trouble with a slight tilt in the wrong direction.
    • 1667, John Milton, “Book XI”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC ↗; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC ↗:
      Lest the fiend […] some new trouble raise.
    • c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act V, scene i]:
      Foul whisperings are abroad; unnatural deeds / Do breed unnatural troubles.
  3. A person liable to place others or themselves in such a situation.
  4. The state of being troubled, disturbed, or distressed mentally; unease, disquiet.
    • 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC ↗, Canto XL, page 63 ↗:
      Yet oft when sundown skirts the moor
      ⁠An inner trouble I behold,
      ⁠A spectral doubt which makes me cold,
      That I shall be thy mate no more, […]
  5. Objectionable feature of something or someone; problem, drawback, weakness, failing, or shortcoming.
    The trouble with that suggestion is that we lack the funds to put it in motion.
  6. Violent or turbulent occurrence or event; unrest, disturbance.
    the troubles in Northern Ireland
    • 1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter VII, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y., London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC ↗:
      “I don’t know how you and the ‘head,’ as you call him, will get on, but I do know that if you call my duds a ‘livery’ again there’ll be trouble. It’s bad enough to go around togged out like a life saver on a drill day, but I can stand that ’cause I'm paid for it. What I won’t stand is to have them togs called a livery. […] ”
  7. Efforts taken or expended, typically beyond the normal required.
    It’s no trouble for me to edit it.
    • 1850, William Cullen Bryant, Letters of a Traveller:
      She never took the trouble to close them.
    • 1881, Robert Louis Stevenson, Virginibus Puerisque:
      Indeed, by the report of our elders, this nervous preparation for old age is only trouble thrown away.
  8. Difficulty in doing something.
    She has trouble eating.
  9. Health problems, ailment, generally of some particular part of the body.
    He’s been in hospital with some heart trouble.
  10. A malfunction.
    My old car has engine trouble.
  11. Liability to punishment; conflict with authority.
    He had some trouble with the law.
  12. (mining) A fault or interruption in a stratum.
  13. (Cockney rhyming slang) Wife. Clipping of trouble and strife
  14. (slang, dated) An unplanned, unwanted or undesired pregnancy.
Synonyms Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Verb

trouble (troubles, present participle troubling; simple past and past participle troubled)

  1. (transitive, now, rare) To disturb, stir up, agitate (a medium, especially water).
    • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC ↗, John 5:4 ↗:
      For an Angel went downe at a certaine season into the poole, and troubled the water:
    • 1667, John Milton, “Book X”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC ↗; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC ↗, line 1100:
      God looking forth will trouble all his Hoſt
  2. (transitive) To mentally distress; to cause (someone) to be anxious or perplexed.
    What she said about narcissism is troubling me.
    • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC ↗, John 12:27 ↗:
      Now is my soule troubled, and what shall I say? Father, saue me from this houre, but for this cause came I vnto this houre.
    • c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act II, scene i], page 281 ↗, column 2:
      Take the Boy to you: he ſo troubles me, / ’Tis paſt enduring.
    • 1693, [John Locke], “§65”, in Some Thoughts Concerning Education, London: […] A[wnsham] and J[ohn] Churchill, […], →OCLC ↗, page 68 ↗:
      Never trouble your ſelf about thoſe Faults in them, which you know Age will cure.
  3. (transitive) In weaker sense: to bother or inconvenience.
    I will not trouble you to deliver the letter.
  4. (transitive, of ailments, etc.) To physically afflict.
  5. (reflexive or intransitive) To take pains to do something; to bother.
    I won’t trouble to post the letter today; I can do it tomorrow.
  6. (intransitive) To worry; to be anxious.
    • 1946, Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, I.26:
      Why trouble about the future? It is wholly uncertain.
Related terms Translations

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