trouble - Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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Verb is from Middle English troublen, trublen, turblen, troblen, borrowed from Old French troubler, trobler, trubler, metathetic variants of tourbler, torbler, turbler, from Vulgar Latin *turbulō, from Latin turbula (“disorderly group, a little crowd or people”), diminutive of turba (“stir; crowd”). The noun is from Middle English truble, troble, from Old French troble, from the verb.
- (Received Pronunciation) enPR: trŭbʹəl; IPA(key): /ˈtɹʌb(ə)l/
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈtɹʌb(ə)l/, /ˈtɹə-/
- Rhymes: -ʌbəl
- Hyphenation: trou‧ble
trouble (countable and uncountable, plural troubles)
- A distressing or dangerous situation.
He was in trouble when the rain started.
- A difficulty, problem, condition, or action contributing to such a situation.
The trouble was a leaking brake line.
The bridge column magnified the trouble with a slight tilt in the wrong direction.
1667, John Milton, “Book XI”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
Lest the fiend […] some new trouble raise.
c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:
Foul whisperings are abroad; unnatural deeds / Do breed unnatural troubles.
- A person liable to place others or themselves in such a situation.
- The state of being troubled, disturbed, or distressed mentally; unease, disquiet.
1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, Canto XL, page 63:
Yet oft when sundown skirts the moor
An inner trouble I behold,
A spectral doubt which makes me cold,
That I shall be thy mate no more, […]
- Objectionable feature of something or someone; problem, drawback, weakness, failing, or shortcoming.
The trouble with that suggestion is that we lack the funds to put it in motion.
- Violent or turbulent occurrence or event; unrest, disturbance.
the troubles in Northern Ireland
1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter VII, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y., London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:
“I don’t know how you and the ‘head,’ as you call him, will get on, but I do know that if you call my duds a ‘livery’ again there’ll be trouble. It’s bad enough to go around togged out like a life saver on a drill day, but I can stand that ’cause I'm paid for it. What I won’t stand is to have them togs called a livery. […] ”
- Efforts taken or expended, typically beyond the normal required.
It’s no trouble for me to edit it.
- Difficulty in doing something.
She has trouble eating.
- Health problems, ailment, generally of some particular part of the body.
He’s been in hospital with some heart trouble.
- A malfunction.
My old car has engine trouble.
- Liability to punishment; conflict with authority.
He had some trouble with the law.
- (mining) A fault or interruption in a stratum.
- (Cockney rhyming slang) Wife. Clipping of trouble and strife.
- (slang, dated) An unplanned, unwanted or undesired pregnancy.
1971, Bob Stone (lyrics and music), “Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves”, performed by Cher:
I never had schoolin’ but he taught me well / With his smooth southern style / Three months later I’m a gal in trouble / And I haven’t seen him for a while.
- See also Thesaurus:difficult situation
- ask for trouble
- a trouble shared is a trouble halved
- borrow trouble
- distrouble
- double-trouble
- double trouble
- engine trouble
- finger trouble
- for one's trouble
- foul trouble
- get into trouble
- girl trouble
- good trouble
- go through the trouble
- go to the trouble
- in a world of trouble
- in trouble
- look for trouble
- picking quarrels and making trouble
- picking quarrels and provoking trouble
- picking quarrels and stirring up trouble
- take the trouble
- teething trouble, teething troubles
- The Troubles
- time trouble
- trouble and strife
- trouble at mill
- trouble at the mill
- trouble at t'mill
- trouble causer
- trouble-causer
- troubled
- trouble-free
- trouble in paradise
- trouble light
- trouble-maker
- troublemaker, trouble maker
- trouble-monger
- troubler
- troubleshoot
- troubleshooter
- troubleshooting
- troublesome
- trouble spot
- trouble ticket
- trouble ticket system
- trubs
- women's troubles
Verbs often used with "trouble"
- Jersey Dutch: tröbel
distressful or dangerous situation
- Albanian: hall (sq) m, telash (sq) f, barazhgë f
- Arabic: مُشْكِلَة f (muškila), مَتاعِب m pl (matāʕib)
- Armenian: նեղություն (hy) (neġutʻyun)
- Avar: балагь (balah)
- Azerbaijani: bəla (az)
- Belarusian: бяда́ (be) f (bjadá), непрые́мнасць f (njepryjémnascʹ), непрые́мнасьць f (njepryjémnasʹcʹ) (Taraškievica), пры́красць f (prýkrascʹ), го́ра (be) n (hóra)
- Bengali: তকলিফ (bn) (tokoliph)
- Bulgarian: беда́ (bg) f (bedá), неприя́тност (bg) f (neprijátnost)
- Catalan: problema (ca) m
- Chinese:
- Czech: potíž (cs) f, nepříjemnost f
- Dutch: zorg (nl), moeilijkheid (nl), moeite (nl), last (nl)
- East Central German: Aarchr m
- Finnish: hankaluudet (fi) pl, vaikeudet (fi) pl, pula (fi)
- French: peine (fr) f
- Galician: problema (gl) m
- Georgian: გასაჭირი (gasač̣iri), უსიამოვნება (usiamovneba)
- German: Ärger (de) m
- Gothic: 𐌳𐍂𐍉𐌱𐌽𐌰 m (drōbna), 𐌰𐌲𐌻𐍉 f (aglō)
- Greek: μπελάς (el) m (belás), φασαρία (el) f (fasaría), ταραχή (el) f (tarachí)
- Hawaiian: pilikia
- Hindi: तकलीफ़ f (taklīf), कष्ट (hi) m (kaṣṭ), दिक़्क़त f (diqqat), दिक्कत (hi) f (dikkat), मुसीबत (hi) f (musībat)
- Hungarian: baj (hu), gond (hu)
- Irish: trioblóid f
- Italian: guaio (it) m, problema (it) m, impiccio (it) m, tumulto (it) m
- Japanese: 揉め事 (ja) (もめごと, momegoto), 厄介事 (やっかいごと, yakkaigoto), 迷惑 (ja) (めいわく, meiwaku)
- Kurdish:
- Latin: aerumna f
- Malayalam: കുഴപ്പം (ml) (kuḻappaṁ)
- Maori: moho, māreherehe
- Norman: pôïne f (Guernsey)
- Plautdietsch: Ploag f
- Polish: kłopoty pl, bieda (pl) f, nieprzyjemność (pl) f, przykrość (pl) f
- Portuguese: problema (pt) m, treta (pt) f, encrenca (pt) f
- Romanian: necaz (ro) n
- Russian: беда́ (ru) f (bedá), злоключе́ние (ru) n (zloključénije), неприя́тность (ru) f (neprijátnostʹ), го́ре (ru) n (góre), затрудне́ние (ru) n (zatrudnénije)
- Scottish Gaelic: dragh m, èiginn f, buaireas m, teanntachd f, trioblaid f
- Slovak: nepríjemnosť f, ťažkosti f pl
- Spanish: marrón (es), berenjenal
- Talysh: bəlo
- Tat: bəla
- Telugu: గొడవ (te) (goḍava)
- Turkish: bela (tr)
- Ukrainian: ха́лепа f (xálepa), хале́па f (xalépa), біда́ (uk) f (bidá), неприє́мність f (nepryjémnistʹ), при́крість f (prýkristʹ), го́ре n (hóre)
- Urdu: تکلیف f (taklīf), کشٹ m (kaṣṭ), بلا (bela)
difficulty
- Belarusian: ця́жкасць f (cjážkascʹ)
- Bulgarian: затрудне́ние (bg) n (zatrudnénie)
- Catalan: problema (ca) m
- Chinese:
- Czech: obtížnost f
- Finnish: hankaluus (fi), ongelma (fi)
- French: mal (fr) m, problème (fr) m, emmerde (fr) f
- Galician: problema (gl) m
- Georgian: გასაჭირი (gasač̣iri), სირთულე (sirtule)
- German: Schwierigkeit (de) f
- Greek: μπελάς (el) m (belás)
- Hawaiian: pilikia
- Hungarian: nehézség (hu), gond (hu), probléma (hu), baj (hu)
- Irish: trioblóid f
- Italian: problema (it) m, difficoltà (it) f, dissesto (it) m
- Japanese: 心配事 (しんぱいごと, shimpaigoto), 問題 (ja) (もんだい, mondai)
- Korean: 문제 (ko) (munje), 곤란 (ko) (gollan)
- Latin: difficultās f
- Malayalam: കുഴപ്പം (ml) (kuḻappaṁ), പ്രശ്നം (ml) (praśnaṁ)
- Maori: raru, māreherehe, moho
- Persian: زحمت (fa) (zahmat)
- Plautdietsch: Ploag f
- Polish: kłopot (pl) m, problem (pl) m, trudność (pl) f
- Portuguese: dificuldade (pt) f
- Russian: затрудне́ние (ru) n (zatrudnénije), тру́дность (ru) f (trúdnostʹ), хло́поты (ru) f pl (xlópoty)
- Scottish Gaelic: duilgheadas m, èiginn f, teanntachd f, trioblaid f
- Slovak: obtiažnosť f
- Spanish: dificultad (es) f, problema (es) m
- Swedish: problem (sv) n
- Tajik: заҳмат (zahmat)
- Turkish: başağrısı (tr), problem (tr), sıkıntı (tr)
- Ukrainian: тру́днощі f (trúdnošči)
- Vietnamese: rắc rối (vi)
- Walloon: rujhe (wa) f
- Welsh: trafferth f
violent occurrence
- Catalan: conflicte (ca) m
- Chinese:
- Finnish: levottomuudet (fi) pl, selkkaus (fi), tappelu (fi), mekkala (fi)
- French: troubles (fr) m pl
- Galician: problema (gl) m
- Greek: φασαρία (el) f (fasaría), ταραχή (el) f (tarachí)
- Hungarian: zavargás (hu)
- Italian: guaio (it) m, problema (it) m, grana (it) f
- Japanese: 揉め事 (ja) (もめごと, momegoto), 厄介事 (やっかいごと, yakkaigoto)
- Portuguese: treta (pt) f (Brazil, slang), encrenca (pt) f (Brazil)
- Russian: беда́ (ru) f (bedá)
- Scottish Gaelic: buaireas m
effort
- Azerbaijani: zəhmət
- Bulgarian: уси́лие (bg) n (usílie)
- Catalan: molèstia (ca) f
- Finnish: vaiva (fi), vaivannäkö
- German: Anstrengung (de) f, Bemühung (de) f, Mühe (de) f
- Hungarian: fáradság (hu), fáradozás (hu), fáradalom (hu), utánajárás (hu)
- Italian: problema (it) m, impedimento (it) m, fastidio (it) m
- Japanese: 厄介 (ja) (やっかい, yakkai), 骨折り (ja) (ほねおり, honeori)
- Latin: opera (la) f, molimen n
- Persian: زحمت (fa) (zahmat)
- Polish: trud (pl) m
- Russian: труд (ru) m (trud), уси́лие (ru) n (usílije), забо́ты (ru) f pl (zabóty), хло́поты (ru) f pl (xlópoty)
- Spanish: molestia (es) f, costo (es) m (Costa Rica)
- Tajik: заҳмат (zahmat)
- Turkish: efor (tr), gayret (tr)
malfunction
- Bulgarian: авария (bg) f (avarija), смущение (bg) n (smuštenie)
- Catalan: trastorn (ca) m
- Chinese:
- Finnish: häiriö (fi), ongelma (fi)
- Galician: problema (gl) m
- German: Störung (de) f
- Greek: πρόβλημα (el) n (próvlima)
- Hungarian: zavar (hu), (also medically) probléma (hu), (medically) panasz (hu), betegség (hu), bántalom (hu)
- Italian: problema (it) m, fastidio (it) m
- Japanese: 障害 (ja) (しょうがい, shōgai), 問題 (ja) (もんだい, mondai)
- Russian: непола́дки (ru) m pl (nepoládki), перебо́й (ru) m (perebój)
- Scottish Gaelic: trioblaid f
- Turkish: arıza (tr)
- Walloon: mehin (wa) m
liability for punishment
Translations to be checked
- Albanian: (please verify) mund (sq) m
- Arabic: (please verify) إِضْطِرَاب m (ʔiḍṭirāb)
- Dutch: (please verify) last (nl), (please verify) zorg (nl), (please verify) probleem (nl) n
- French: (please verify) peine (fr) f, (please verify) souci (fr)
- German: (please verify) Mühe (de) f, (please verify) Sorge (de) f, (please verify) Ärger (de) m, (please verify) Ungemach (de) n
- Hiligaynon: (please verify) problema
- Irish: (please verify) aimpléis f
- Italian: (please verify) pena (it) f, (please verify) disturbo (it) m, (please verify) disagio (it) m
- Korean: (please verify) 걱정 (ko) (geokjeong), (please verify) 곤란 (ko) (gollan)
- Kurdish:
- Mandarin: (please verify) 麻煩/麻烦 (zh) (máfan), (please verify) 麻烦 (zh) (máfán)
- Old Norse: (please verify) úmaki m, (please verify) úmak n
- Romanian: (please verify) păs (ro), (please verify) problemă (ro)
- Santali: (please verify) ᱚᱡᱚᱨ (ôjôr)
- Serbo-Croatian: (please verify) muka (sh) f, (please verify) trud (sh) m, (please verify) poteškoća, (please verify) napor (sh), (please verify) problem (sh), (please verify) nevolja (sh), (please verify) neprilika (sh)
- Spanish: (please verify) pena (es) f
- Swahili: (please verify) vurugu (sw), (please verify) gaya (sw)
- Swedish: (please verify) besvär (sv), (please verify) möda (sv)
- Tagalog: (please verify) problema (tl), (please verify) hirap
- Telugu: (please verify) ఇబ్బంది (te) (ibbandi)
- Appendix:Collocations of do, have, make, and take for uses and meaning of trouble collocated with these words.
trouble (third-person singular simple present troubles, present participle troubling, simple past and past participle troubled)
- (transitive, now rare) To disturb, stir up, agitate (a medium, especially water).
1667, John Milton, “Book X”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, line 1100:
God looking forth will trouble all his Hoſt
- (transitive) To mentally distress; to cause (someone) to be anxious or perplexed.
What she said about narcissism is troubling me.
c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i], page 281, column 2:
Take the Boy to you: he ſo troubles me, / ’Tis paſt enduring.
- (transitive) In weaker sense: to bother or inconvenience.
I will not trouble you to deliver the letter.
- (transitive, of ailments, etc.) To physically afflict.
- (reflexive or intransitive) To take pains to do something; to bother.
I won’t trouble to post the letter today; I can do it tomorrow.
- (intransitive) To worry; to be anxious.
1946, Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, I.26:
Why trouble about the future? It is wholly uncertain.
- → Jersey Dutch: tröble
to bother; to annoy
- Arabic:
- Egyptian Arabic: كلف (kallif)
- Bulgarian: безпокоя (bg) (bezpokoja), тревожа (bg) (trevoža)
- Cherokee: ᎠᏕᏯᏙᏗᎭ (adeyadodiha)
- Chinese:
- Finnish: vaivata (fi)
- French: troubler (fr), déranger (fr), embêter (fr)
- German: beunruhigen (de), belästigen (de), bekümmern (de)
- Gothic: 𐌳𐍂𐌰𐌹𐌱𐌾𐌰𐌽 (draibjan)
- Greek: ενοχλώ (el) (enochló)
- Hungarian: zavar (hu), aggaszt (hu), fáraszt (hu)
- Irish: cráigh
- Italian: esagitare, infastidire (it), disturbare (it), agitare (it)
- Japanese: 手数を掛ける (てすうをかける, tesū-o kakeru), 面倒を掛ける (めんどうをかける, mendō-o kakeru)
- Kabuverdianu: ardiga
- Latvian: traucēt
- Polish: przeszkadzać (pl), dokuczać (pl), niepokoić (pl)
- Portuguese: incomodar (pt), irritar (pt), molestar (pt)
- Russian: беспоко́ить (ru) impf (bespokóitʹ), побеспоко́ить (ru) pf (pobespokóitʹ), обеспоко́ить (ru) pf (obespokóitʹ), трево́жить (ru) impf (trevóžitʹ), потрево́жить (ru) pf (potrevóžitʹ), встрево́жить (ru) pf (vstrevóžitʹ), волнова́ть (ru) impf (volnovátʹ), взволнова́ть (ru) pf (vzvolnovátʹ)
- Sanskrit: बाधति (bādhati)
- Scottish Gaelic: buair, cuir dragh air
- Spanish: molestar (es), fastidiar (es), agobiar (es)
- Swahili: kusumbua
- Tagalog: istorbo, pahirapan
- “trouble”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- “trouble”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
Deverbal from troubler or from Old French troble.
trouble m (plural troubles)
- trouble
- (medicine, psychiatry) disorder
- trouble bipolaire ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)
- trouble de la personnalité ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)
- trouble de l’érection ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)
- trouble de l’humeur ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)
- trouble du sommeil ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)
- trouble mental ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)
- trouble obsessionnel compulsif ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)
- trouble psychiatrique ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)
- trouble psychique ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)
- → German: Trubel
Inherited from Old French troble, probably from a Vulgar Latin *turbulus (with metathesis), itself perhaps an alteration of Latin turbidus with influence from turbulentus; cf. also turbula. Compare Catalan tèrbol, Romanian tulbure.
trouble (plural troubles)
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
trouble
- inflection of troubler:
- “trouble”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.