troublesome

adjective

ˈtrə-bəl-səm How to pronounce troublesome (audio)
Definition of troublesomenext
as in disturbing
causing worry or anxiety the troublesome news that there will be more cuts in the school budget

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of troublesome Experts aren’t sure why foods that were once tolerated can suddenly become troublesome like this. — Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 7 Oct. 2026 The heating oil situation is particularly troublesome here for low-to-moderate residents who rely on the Connecticut Energy Assistance Program to keep warm. — Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 26 Sep. 2026 Some oil tankers have made their way through the strait, but LNG tankers are a more troublesome target, according to Robin Mills, a non-resident fellow at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy and CEO of Qamar Energy. — Lauren Morganbesser, semafor.com, 22 Sep. 2026 In Bad Apples, Maria ends up accidentally taking and locking her troublesome student, Danny, in her home following a series of questionable decisions and a desperate moment. — Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for troublesome
Recent Examples of Synonyms for troublesome
  1. disturbing
  2. unsettling
  3. troubling
  4. nasty
  5. frightening
Adjective
  • For Daughtry, who was dispatched to work the crash by his editor that day, the assignment was one of the most disturbing of his career.
    — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2026
  • This disturbing contradiction suggests that different physical laws apply to the observer and the observed.
    — Philipp Strasberg, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of disturbing
Adjective
  • There’s something so unsettling about a game show where the contestants’ well-being is not considered, and The Tonight Show leaned into that uncanniness to great effect.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The series explores the unsettling collision of ancient witchcraft beliefs and modern digital dating culture.
    — Samantha Bergeson, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of unsettling
Adjective
  • One particularly troubling example comes from the Justice Department's case against Epsilon Data Management.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026
  • From a troubling police restraint death in Elk Grove to a new food literacy TV show, Sacramento made plenty of headlines recently.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of troubling
Adjective
  • With American Family Field rocking, Ashby reared back and threw a nasty curve that Díaz tried to hold up on.
    — Jacob Lev, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Of course, there has been some criticism of this plan, as France is experiencing some pretty nasty civil unrest at the moment, but the game will go ahead, with the Saints having been in the country for a few days already.
    — Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of nasty
Adjective
  • As the frightening phantom of Frank the Bunny warns, this parallel reality has a ticking clock that’ll result in its imminent collapse in just 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes, and 12 seconds.
    — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 26 Oct. 2026
  • For neighbors, the crash brought a frightening interruption to an otherwise routine afternoon.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of frightening

Browse Nearby Words

troubleshooters
troublesome
troubling
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Cite this Entry

“Troublesome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/troublesome. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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