troublesome

[ truhb-uhl-suhm ]

adjective

1. causing trouble, annoyance, or difficulty; vexatious:

   a troublesome situation; a troublesome person.

   Synonyms: galling

2. laborious; difficult.

   Synonyms: burdensome, hard, arduous

   Antonyms: easy

3. Archaic. full of distress or affliction.

troublesome

/ ˈtrʌbəlsəm /

adjective

1. causing a great deal of trouble; worrying, upsetting, or annoying
2. characterized by violence; turbulent

Derived Forms

• ˈtroublesomely, adverb
• ˈtroublesomeness, noun

Other Words From

• trouble·some·ly adverb
• trouble·some·ness noun
• un·trouble·some adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of troublesome¹

First recorded in 1540–50; trouble + -some ¹

Example Sentences

Bluesky has prided itself on centralizing its user experience on one server, meaning its users could only see one feed unaffected by troublesome algorithms that plague platforms like Twitter/X.

From Salon

“More troublesome, what about the less intelligent, who logically should have less?”

From Salon

Jos Buttler's troublesome calf has kept him out of action since June, forcing him to watch the rebirth of his side without him.

From BBC

It was accepted it might be chaotic and troublesome at times, but the difficulties of dealing with the Portuguese would be balanced by success.

From BBC

As I try to decipher what these polls mean, I often find myself muttering, “Will someone please save me from this troublesome priest?”

From Salon

Related Words

• alarming
• annoying
• burdensome
• damaging
• dangerous
• difficult
• inconvenient
• intractable
• irksome
• irritating
• messy
• painful
• problematic
• taxing
• tough
• tricky
• ugly
• unruly
• vexing
• worrying