Trouble — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈtrə-bəl/ trou·ble

Meaning & Definition of Trouble

Trouble (noun)

  1. the quality or state of being troubled especially mentally
  2. public unrest or disturbance
  3. an instance of trouble

Trouble (verb)

  1. to agitate mentally or spiritually, worry, disturb
  2. to put to exertion or inconvenience
  3. to produce physical disorder in, afflict

Trouble (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. an abnormal state that disrupts a plant's or animal's normal bodily functioning

    "hoping that the doctor will be able to accurately diagnose my trouble"

    similar: affection, ail, ailment, bug, complaint, complication, condition, disease, disorder, distemper, distemperature, fever, ill, illness, infirmity, malady, sickness
    related: contagion, contagious disease, contagium, infection, attack, bout, fit, spell, debility, decrepitude, feebleness, frailness, lameness, sickliness, unhealthiness, unsoundness, unwellness, weakness, malaise, matter, pip, epidemic, pest, pestilence, plague
    opposite: health, wellness
    near: fitness, healthiness, heartiness, robustness, soundness, wholeness, wholesomeness, fettle, shape

  2. something that may cause injury or harm

    "that wild dog is trouble, so stay away"

    similar: danger, hazard, imminence, menace, peril, pitfall, risk, threat
    related: snare, trap, booby trap
    near: guard, protection, safeguard, shield, ward, asylum, harbor, haven, refuge, retreat, shelter

  3. something that requires thought and skill for resolution

    "the police officers first broke up the fight and then asked what the trouble was"

    similar: case, challenge, knot, matter, nut, problem
    related: issue, question, corner, fix, hole, hot water, jam, mire, pickle, predicament, quagmire, spot, crux, Gordian knot, sticky wicket, toughie, catch-22, dilemma, quandary, catch, glitch, hitch, pitfall, snag, conundrum, enigma, mystery, puzzle, puzzlement, riddle, brainteaser, poser, stumper
    opposite: answer, solution
    near: magic bullet, silver bullet, cure-all, panacea

  4. the active use of energy in producing a result

    "please, don't go to all that trouble just for me"

    similar: effort, elbow grease, exertion, expenditure, labor, pains, sweat, while, work
    related: drudgery, grind, slog, strain, toil, travail, dint, energy, force, might, muscle, power, puissance, attempt, endeavor, essay, fling, go, pass, shot, stab, trial, try, whack
    near: adroitness, ease, facility, fluency, smoothness, dormancy, idleness, inaction, inactivity, indolence, inertia, languor, laziness, quiescence

  5. the state of not being protected from injury, harm, or evil

    "if you think your brother might be in trouble, then let's go check up on him"

    similar: danger, distress, endangerment, harm's way, imperilment, jeopardy, peril, risk
    related: exposure, liability, openness, vulnerability, precariousness, threat, susceptibility, susceptibleness, defenselessness, helplessness, weakness
    opposite: safeness, safety, secureness, security
    near: preservation, salvation, defense, protection, exemption, immunity, impunity, inviolability, invulnerability

Trouble (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to experience concern or anxiety

    "don't trouble about me—I'll be fine"

    similar: bother, fear, fret, fuss, stew, stress, sweat, worry, give a hang, sweat blood
    related: agonize, long, pine, yearn, chafe, despair
    near: accept, abide, bear, endure, stick out, stomach, sustain, take, tolerate

  2. 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?"

    similar: discommode, disoblige, disturb, incommode, inconvenience, put out
    related: burden, encumber, saddle, weigh, fetter, hamper, hamstring, handicap, hinder, hobble, hold back, hold up, impede, inhibit, interfere (with), manacle, obstruct, shackle, tie up, trammel, aggravate, anger, annoy, bother, bug, chafe, exasperate, gall, get, irk, nettle, peeve, pique, rile, vex, grate, inflame, provoke, agitate, perturb, upset
    opposite: accommodate, favor, oblige
    near: abet, aid, assist, help, ease, facilitate, smooth, appease, conciliate, disarm, mollify, pacify, placate, delight, gladden, gratify, please, satisfy, comfort, console, content

Related Entry: Ask (verb)

Ask is a different word from Trouble. The synonyms below are for ask, not for trouble.

  1. to put a question or questions to

    "my coworkers asked me all about my trip to Machu Picchu"

    similar: catechize, grill, inquire (of), interrogate, query, question, quiz
    related: besiege, bombard, cross-examine, cross-question, examine, pump, poll, survey
    opposite: answer, reply, respond
    near: rejoin, retort, comment, observe, remark, avoid, duck

  2. to make a request of

    "ask the salesclerk for assistance"

    similar: hit (up), request, solicit, call on
    related: appeal (to), beg, beseech, conjure, entreat, implore, importune, invite, invoke, petition, plead (to), pray, supplicate, demand, enjoin, exact, press, require
    near: coerce, compel, constrain, force, oblige, require

  3. to set or receive as a price

    "they are only asking $300 for that antique grandfather clock"

    similar: charge, command, demand
    related: overcharge, undercharge, bring, fetch, sell (for), discount, mark down, mark up, assess, bill, invoice, price, value

  4. to request the presence or participation of

    "a fixture on the party circuit, that couple is always asking people over for dinner"

    similar: bid, invite
    related: solicit, beckon, call, summon

Related Entry: Ask (for) (verb)

Ask (for) is a different word from Trouble. The synonyms below are for ask (for), not for trouble.

  1. to make a request for

    "don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it"

    similar: bespeak, call (for), desire, plead (for), quest, request, seek, solicit, speak (for), sue (for)
    related: apply (for), beg (for), claim, clamor (for), importune, urge, wish (for), demand, enjoin, exact, insist (on), petition (for), press (for), require, requisition, invite, invoke

  2. to act so as to make (something) more likely

    "you are asking for trouble if you invite her ex to the wedding"

    similar: court, flirt (with), invite, woo, look for
    related: angle (for), fish (for), hunt, search, seek, provoke, tempt

  3. to give a request or demand for

    "the surgeon asked for the scalpel"

    similar: order, put in (for), request, requisition, call for
    related: commission, solicit, charter, hire, license

Related Entry: Borrow (verb)

Borrow is a different word from Trouble. The synonyms below are for borrow, not for trouble.

  1. to take for one's own use (something originated by another)

    "borrowed the basic plot from a book of tales, but put her personal stamp on the story"

    similar: adopt, embrace, espouse, take on, take up, pick up on
    related: domesticate, naturalize, appropriate, arrogate, take over, usurp, absorb, assimilate, incorporate, quote, cherish, prize, treasure, cultivate, follow, heed, honor, use, utilize, bring up, foster, nurture, raise, rear, affect, assume, copy, imitate, pretend, put on, simulate
    near: abandon, forsake, give up, relinquish, surrender, abjure, abnegate, disown, reject, renounce, repudiate, spurn, discard, jettison, junk, throw away, throw out

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Trouble

The most common words with a similar meaning to Trouble:

affection, ail, ailment, bug, complaint, complication, condition, disease, disorder, distemper, distemperature, fever, ill, illness, infirmity, malady, sickness, danger, hazard, imminence, menace, peril, pitfall, risk, threat, case, challenge, knot, matter, nut, problem, effort, elbow grease, exertion, expenditure, labor, pains, sweat, while, work

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Trouble

Words with the opposite meaning of Trouble:

health, wellness, answer, solution, safeness, safety, secureness, security, accommodate, favor, oblige

Related Words for Trouble

contagion, contagious disease, contagium, infection, attack, bout, fit, spell, debility, decrepitude, feebleness, frailness, lameness, sickliness, unhealthiness, unsoundness, unwellness, weakness, malaise, pip, epidemic, pest, pestilence, plague, snare, trap, booby trap, issue, question, corner

Near Antonyms of Trouble

fitness, healthiness, heartiness, robustness, soundness, wholeness, wholesomeness, fettle, shape, guard, protection, safeguard, shield, ward, asylum, harbor, haven, refuge, retreat, shelter, magic bullet, silver bullet, cure-all, panacea, adroitness, ease, facility, fluency, smoothness, dormancy

Word Forms of Trouble

Inflections: troubles, troubled, troubling

Derived words: troubler (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Trouble

Middle English, from Anglo-French trubler, from Vulgar Latin *turbulare, from *turbulus agitated, alteration of Latin turbulentus turbulent

First known use: 13th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Trouble

Words & Phrases Containing Trouble

trouble free, trouble oneself, trouble spot, ask for trouble, borrow trouble, foul trouble, get (someone) out of trouble, go to trouble

Frequently Asked Questions about Trouble

What does "Trouble" mean?

"Trouble" means the quality or state of being troubled especially mentally. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: the quality or state of being troubled especially mentally. It has 7 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Trouble"?

Other words for "Trouble" include affection, ail, ailment, bug, complaint, complication, condition and disease. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Trouble" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Trouble"?

There are 196 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Trouble". Common alternatives include affection, ail, ailment, bug, complaint, complication, condition, disease, disorder and distemper.

What is the opposite of "Trouble"?

Antonyms of "Trouble" include health, wellness, answer, solution, safeness, safety, secureness and security. Near antonyms include fitness, healthiness, heartiness and robustness.

How do you use "Trouble" in a sentence?

Examples of "Trouble" in a sentence: "hoping that the doctor will be able to accurately diagnose my trouble"; "that wild dog is trouble, so stay away"; "the police officers first broke up the fight and then asked what the trouble was".

Is "Trouble" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Trouble" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Trouble" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A2-level word, "Trouble" is typical of Cambridge A2 Key (KET), PTE Academic 30–42, TOEIC Listening & Reading 225+.

How do you pronounce "Trouble"?

"Trouble" is pronounced /ˈtrə-bəl/ and divided into syllables as trou·ble.