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troubled

/ˈtrəbəld/

/ˈtrəbʊld/

Other forms: troubledly

Use the adjective troubled to describe someone who is upset or distressed, or a situation that is difficult. If your mom and your sister fight a lot, often bitterly, you might say that their relationship is troubled.

A troubled neighborhood might be one that faces problems like poverty and crime. If you are troubled, however, you might simply be worried — and the troubled expression on your face might be enough to make your friends ask you what's wrong. The figurative phrase "troubled waters" means a particularly tough period or situation: "I'll stick with you through troubled waters!"

Definitions of troubled
  1. adjective
    characterized by or indicative of distress or affliction or danger or need
    troubled areas”
    “fell into a troubled sleep”
    “a troubled expression”
    troubled teenagers”
    Synonyms:
    concerned
    feeling or showing worry or solicitude
    unquiet
    characterized by unrest or disorder
    annoyed, harassed, harried, pestered, vexed
    troubled persistently especially with petty annoyances
    anxious, nervous, queasy, uneasy, unquiet
    causing or fraught with or showing anxiety
    buffeted, storm-tossed, tempest-swept, tempest-tossed, tempest-tost
    pounded or hit repeatedly by storms or adversities
    careful
    full of cares or anxiety
    care-laden, heavy-laden
    burdened by cares
    clouded
    made troubled or apprehensive or distressed in appearance
    consternated, disquieted, distressed, disturbed, harrowed, upset, worried
    afflicted with or marked by anxious uneasiness or trouble or grief
    distressed, hard put, hard-pressed, in a bad way
    facing or experiencing financial trouble or difficulty
    fraught
    marked by distress
    hag-ridden, hagridden, tormented
    tormented or harassed by nightmares or unreasonable fears
    haunted
    showing emotional affliction or disquiet
    mothy
    infested with moths
    distressed, stressed
    suffering severe physical strain or distress
    struggling
    engaged in a struggle to overcome especially poverty or obscurity
    suffering
    troubled by pain or loss
    troublous
    full of trouble
    see moresee less
    Antonyms:
    untroubled
    not beset by troubles or disturbance or distress
    unconcerned
    lacking in interest or care or feeling
    quiet
    characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
    carefree, unworried
    free of trouble and worry and care
    clear
    characterized by freedom from troubling thoughts (especially guilt)
    dreamless
    untroubled by dreams
    trouble-free
    without problems or difficulties
    unconcerned
    easy in mind; not worried
    undisturbed
    untroubled by interference or disturbance
    unmolested
    not interfered with, disturbed, or harmed
    show more antonyms...
  2. adjective
    characterized by unrest or disorder or insubordination
    “these troubled areas”
    synonyms: disruptive, riotous, tumultuous, turbulent
    unquiet
    characterized by unrest or disorder
Pronunciation
US

/ˈtrəbəld/

UK

/ˈtrəbʊld/

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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘troubled'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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