troubled

adjective

trou·​bled ˈtrə-bəld How to pronounce troubled (audio)
1
a
: concerned, worried
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
a gray and troubled sky

Examples of troubled in a Sentence

She seemed troubled about something. These have been troubled times.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Mahdi's attorneys are seeking a reprieve, citing his troubled childhood, a lack of adequate mental health care and a poor defense at trial. Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2025 Believe it or not, the film's director James Hawes insists Bernthal's secret agent code name was not an intentional call-out to his current run as the late, troubled, elder Berzatto brother Mikey on TV. Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 9 Apr. 2025 Mark Pellington directs the conspiracy thriller about a troubled vet (Gladstone) struggling with addiction who is recruited by a contractor (Cranston) for a covert government plot to assassinate a high-level politician. Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 9 Apr. 2025 Cook County ended up paying an extra $22 million for external consultants to oversee the troubled projects and $59 million to maintain legacy systems that were supposed to have been replaced. The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for troubled

Word History

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of troubled was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Troubled.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/troubled. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.

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