TROUBLING Synonyms: 154 Similar and Opposite Words

troubling 1 of 2

adjective

ˈtrə-b(ə-)liŋ

Definition of troubling

as in disturbing

causing worry or anxiety the most troubling sign of all is that he's stopped returning my phone calls

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

troubling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of trouble

as in worrying

to experience concern or anxiety don't trouble about me—I'll be fine

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in weighing

to cause discomfort to or trouble for I hate to trouble you, but would you mind moving for a minute so I can sweep under your chair?

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 troubling

Adjective

Most troubling, though, are not the physical changes but the damage to our national psyche. — Letters To The Editor, Washington Post, 21 Oct. 2026 Learning that you’ve been misdiagnosed can be especially troubling and frustrating. — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 21 Oct. 2026

Verb

This question of what happened to fishes immediately after the age of the dinosaurs kept troubling me. — Sanaa El-Sayed, The Conversation, 4 June 2026 My mother’s rheumatism was troubling her, and Betsy stayed home to keep her company. — Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for troubling

Recent Examples of Synonyms for troubling

Adjective

One of the most disturbing reasons given was that the DOT will never install a speed reducer closer than a distance of 1,000 feet (nearly a quarter of a mile) from a speed camera.

— Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 28 Oct. 2026
Family members reported objects disappearing, beds lifting, unexplained odors, and other disturbing occurrences in the house.

— Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of disturbing

Verb

The activists who once demanded radical change begin worrying about their children’s safety, their schools, and whether the neighborhood is a decent place to grow up.

— Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 28 Oct. 2026
Public support for Israel in the United States has plummeted, worrying many Israeli voters.

— Daniel Estrin, NPR, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of worrying

Verb

Nvidia's flagship Vera Rubin product is a seven-foot rack containing 72 GPUs and weighing as much as a pickup truck.

— Kif Leswing,Isabel O'Brien, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2026
The salty bacon and fluffy eggs formed that classic breakfast flavor, while the potatoes added a satisfying heartiness without weighing the taco down.

— Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of weighing

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

Verb

His work is autobiographical and based on whatever has been bothering him that year.

— Anthony Solorzano, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
For example, companies that benefit from customers not bothering to cancel subscriptions, compare prices, or search for better deals have taken a beating in recent weeks.

— Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of bothering

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

Verb

Chatfield asked the Los Angeles Times in 1997 in response to criticism from community members and some local officials who pegged his nonprofit as inconveniencing residents by helping homeless people.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026
The government said Khan’s supporters had begun gathering outside the private hospital in violation of the court order, which required them to stay away from the medical facility to avoid inconveniencing other patients.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of inconveniencing

Browse Nearby Words

troublesome

troubling

troublous

See all Nearby Words

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Style

“Troubling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/troubling. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of troubling

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

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