trouble Hear it!

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trouble definition

trou·ble (trub′əl)

transitive verb troubled -·bled, troubling -·bling

  1. to disturb or agitate troubled waters
  2. to cause mental agitation to; worry; harass; perturb; vex
  3. to cause pain or discomfort to; afflict my back troubled me
  4. to cause difficulty or inconvenience to; incommode don't trouble yourself to rise
  5. to pester, annoy, tease, bother, etc.

Etymology: ME trublen < OFr trubler < VL *turbulare, altered (infl. by L turbula, disorderly group, dim. of turba, crowd) < LL turbidare, to trouble, make turbid < L turbidus, turbid

intransitive verb

to make an effort; take pains; bother don't trouble to return it

noun

  1. a state of mental distress; worry
    1. a misfortune; calamity; mishap
    2. a distressing or difficult happening or situation
    3. a condition of being out of order, needing repair, etc. tire trouble
  3. a person, circumstance, or event that causes annoyance, distress, difficulty, etc.
  4. public disturbance; civil disorder
  5. effort; bother; pains to take the trouble to look it up
  6. an illness; ailment; disease

Related Forms:

trouble Idioms

in trouble

Informal pregnant when unmarried

the Troubles

  1. the civil unrest in Ireland, c. 1919-23
  2. the civil unrest in Northern Ireland, from about 1967

trouble someone for

to ask someone to pass, hand, give, etc. (something) to one

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

idioms trouble idiom

trouble Synonyms

trouble

n.

  1. Difficulty

    strain, stress, struggle; see difficulty 1, 2.

  2. A person or thing causing trouble

    annoyance, difficult situation, bother, bind, hindrance, difficulty, task, puzzle, predicament, plight, problem, fear, worry, concern, inconvenience, nuisance, disturbance, calamity, catastrophe, crisis, negative function, delay, quarrel, dispute, affliction, intrusion, disquiet, irritation, trial, pain, pique, ordeal, discomfort, injury, adversity, hang-up, case, bore, gossip, problem child, pestiferous person, meddler, pest, tease, tiresome person, talkative person, inconsiderate person, intruder, troublemaker, fly in the ointment*, monkey wrench*, headache*, smart aleck*, buttinski*, brat*, handful*, holy terror*, bad news*, botheration*, peck of trouble*; see also care 2.

    Antonyms aid*, help*, comfort*. *

  3. Illness

    malady, ailment, affliction; see disease.

  4. Civil disorder

    riot, turmoil, strife; see disturbance 2.

  5. A quarrel

    argument, feud, bickering; see dispute, fight 1.

in trouble

  1. in a quandary, in difficulty, in a predicament, out on a limb, in chancery, unfortunate, having trouble, in hot water*, in dutch*, in for it*, in bad*, up the creek*, up a tree*, in the doghouse*, in a jam*; see also troubled 1, unfortunate 2.

  2. with child, pregnant out of wedlock, expecting*, knocked up*; see pregnant 1.


trouble

v.

  1. To disturb

    disconcert, annoy, irritate; see bother 3, disturb 2.

  2. To take care

    be concerned with, make an effort, take pains; see bother 1.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

trouble Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • teethe: The spread of a new technology is delayed until the leading adopters have overcome teething troubles.

Adjective modifier

  • serious: Although not in serious trouble when the [ ... ] Posted in Scottish Boxing | No Comments » Michael Brodie Next For Scott Harrison?

Modifies a noun

  • shooting: Trouble shooting Why won't the service download to my phone?

Noun used with modifier

  • tummy: Dirty sponges, warm fridges, dripping meat and under-cooked bangers all spell tummy trouble.

Preposition: with

  • tendon: The trouble with tendons Could stem cells help brain damaged babies?
trouble usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

trouble quotes

It's a man's joböno place for women's plans here!öwhat lies outside. Stay home and cause no trouble.

-Aeschylus

Nobody can be exactly like me. Sometimes even I have trouble doing it.

-Bankhead,Tallulah

Mothers of large families (who claim to common sense) Will find aTiger will repay the trouble and expense.

-Belloc, (Joseph) Hilaire Pierre

trouble quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"trouble." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/trouble>

APA Style

trouble. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/trouble

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