troubled 1 of 2

adjective

ˈtrə-bəld How to pronounce troubled (audio)
Definition of troublednext
as in worried
feeling or showing uncomfortable feelings of uncertainty we could tell by the troubled looks on their faces that the news was not promising

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

troubled

2 of 2

verb

past tense of trouble
1
as in feared
to experience concern or anxiety don't trouble about me—I'll be fine

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disturbed
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?

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of troubled
Adjective
Hichilema was declared the winner of an unusually troubled presidential election in the copper-rich southern African nation that has a history of largely peaceful votes. — ABC News, 27 Aug. 2026 Her troubled and impoverished family sends her to another family’s farm so the girl’s overwhelmed mother can give birth to yet another child. — Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026
Verb
Hathaway stars as Kym, the titular bride’s (Rosemarie DeWitt) troubled younger sister. — Chris Bellamy, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Aug. 2026 Flake also said he was troubled by Collins' refusal to acknowledge President Joe Biden's 2020 election victory. — Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for troubled
Recent Examples of Synonyms for troubled
  1. worried
  2. disturbed
  3. anxious
  4. weighed
  5. upset
  6. bothered
  7. nervous
  8. inconvenienced
Adjective
  • When Republican lawmakers secured cuts to the United States' largest food assistance program last year, Paige Shoemaker DeMio wasn't worried about children going hungry just at home — but at school.
    — Juliana Kim, NPR, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Mattfeld is excellent in what could easily have been a thankless role, playing Ricky with the mien of someone who is always holding it together, years of disappointment and condescension and expectation keeping her eyes worried and jaw tight.
    — Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of worried
Verb
  • As a parent who has purchased my share of scary Halloween costumes, I was particularly disturbed by the controversy now engulfing Target.
    — Michelle Singletary, Washington Post, 26 Aug. 2026
  • If disturbed, asbestos’ microscopic crystalline fibers get into the air, where they can be inhaled, cause lung scarring and lead to fatal cancers.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of disturbed
Adjective
  • History suggests that anxious allies who are not reassured by their more powerful patron will invest in their own defense.
    — JENNIFER KAVANAGH, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2026
  • For me, Sliman was pouring water on a dormant seed anxious to sprout.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of anxious
Verb
  • The wheel, approximately a foot and a half in diameter, weighed 150 to 200 pounds.
    — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Dry food can also work, but portions should be weighed carefully rather than left out for unlimited grazing.
    — Lauren Paige Richeson, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of weighed
Adjective
  • An upset victory in Alaska for Democrats would be a massive step toward achieving that goal.
    — Joey Garrison, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Clancy appeared upset during the sidebar but returned to the defense table with a stoic expression.
    — Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of upset
Verb
  • Somewhere right now, a nurse is scoring a newborn out of ten because Virginia saw over breakfast something nobody else had bothered to address.
    — Stacy L. Hambleton, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026
  • What bothered me most was that the effects always lasted longer than the fun did.
    — Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of bothered
Adjective
  • The letter writer is almost 40 and nervous about living with a romantic partner for the first time.
    — Shane O’Neill, Washington Post, 3 Sep. 2026
  • That energy spike is reinforcing inflation worries in a bond market already nervous about America’s $40 trillion mountain of debt.
    — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of nervous
Verb
  • Would others—including staff on site—feel surprised or inconvenienced, and make that known to us?
    — Nicole Chung, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The guests enjoy the food and don’t seem inconvenienced by the fish bones.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 26 May 2026
Definition of inconvenienced

Browse Nearby Words

trouble
troubled
troublemaker
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Cite this Entry

“Troubled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/troubled. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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