troubled

1 of 2

adjective

trou·​bled ˈtrə-bəld 

1

a

: concerned, worried entry 1

troubled feelings about the decision

b

: exhibiting emotional or behavioral problems

a program for troubled youth

2

: characterized by or indicative of trouble

our troubled cities

troubled times

a gray and troubled sky

troubled

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of trouble entry 2

Synonyms of troubled

Adjective

• worried
• anxious
• upset
• nervous
• uneasy

Examples of troubled in a Sentence

Adjective

She seemed troubled about something.

These have been troubled times.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Cameron’s troubled youth reached a crescendo when he was sentenced to five years in federal prison for drug smuggling, with an additional sentence for drug possession in prison — serving seven years in the end. — Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026

Lorea is a troubled writer who looks to a former prison inmate for companionship. — Roberto Prieto, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026

After nabbing a minority stake in Puma earlier this year, Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group is investing in another troubled sportswear company. — Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2026

Her startling novel guides us through the Stettheimer sisters’ fabulous world and the interior spaces of a troubled woman’s mind. — Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing troubled

• ease someone's (troubled) mind
• guilty/troubled conscience
• pour oil on troubled waters
• troubled waters

Rhymes for troubled

• bubbled
• doubled
• redoubled
• untroubled