troubled 1 of 2

Definition of troublednext

troubled

2 of 2

verb

past tense of trouble

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
Melissa Horner testified in court Wednesday about her son’s troubled childhood and her own struggles with addiction. Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Apr. 2026 But the royals, with their pomp and circumstance, bring a special kind of diplomatic firepower, and the king will no doubt do his best to navigate the currents in the relationship, and quell the troubled waters. Holly Williams, CBS News, 25 Apr. 2026
Verb
Ward, now living in Denver, said she was troubled by how recent some events were. Gary Fields, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2026 She had long been known to be troubled and had been seen hunting birds in her neighborhood, per The Evening Independent. Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 7 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for troubled
Recent Examples of Synonyms for troubled
Adjective
  • So how worried should these teams be?
    Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
  • People that maybe have a more precarious position in the industry and are worried and see AI as a threat — which is absolutely valid — and younger people, younger actors and musicians.
    Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 29 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Blueberry plants also have a shallow root system that can be disturbed by planting annuals and is subject to competition from surrounding plants for water and nutrients.
    Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 29 Apr. 2026
  • The radiation from the flares reached Earth quickly and disturbed the ionosphere, the upper atmospheric layer that carries many radio and navigation signals.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • The play is about Sarah, an anxious young woman living a double life.
    Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
  • That’s the blunt reality facing Senate Majority Leader John Thune as Republicans grow increasingly anxious about the end-game for one of the most consequential — and politically combustible — confirmation fights in recent memory.
    Phil Mattingly, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The association last year weighed the possibility of allowing athletes and coaches to bet on pro sports but decided against that change in the wake of high-profile betting scandals involving NBA and MLB players.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 27 Apr. 2026
  • Before anybody could analyze what had happened, Ferdinand, carrying a jockey who probably never weighed 100 pounds in his career — thanks to the birth advantage Downey so aptly pointed out years later — was cruising past the leaders and sailing home a winner.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • The Brooklyn grandmom was upset that the women were allowing their dogs to defecate in an empty lot next to her property, her son told the Daily News at the time.
    Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026
  • My mom was very upset that the inheritance was not divided up equally and asked me several times why my portion would be so much larger.
    R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Who never bothered to delete the erroneous post.
    Joe Rexrode, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
  • With Minnesota viewing them as soft, the Nuggets hardly seem bothered by the criticism.
    Troy Renck, Denver Post, 25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • In the draft room, Bisciotti looked nervous as the pick approached, worried another team — or even his own GM — might snag Randall.
    Michael Silver, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
  • Some nervous Democrats and their allies worry that language could thwart installation of a Democratic majority in the next Congress.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Someone needs to tell them to stay on the East Coast — at least, until the precedent set by last week’s action in the Gulf provides the basis for a similar rule along the East Coast, particularly in New England where the whales’ modest protections have inconvenienced commercial fishing boats.
    Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2026
  • If a magazine story produced a burst of negative attention that inconvenienced or endangered the people who worked for her, that would fall on her, too.
    Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Troubled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/troubled. Accessed 2 May. 2026.

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