troubling

Variant of trouble

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 © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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