trouble

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A problem, difficulty, or worry.

   One trouble after another delayed the job.

2. 2
   noun

   A dangerous, difficult, or unpleasant situation.

   He was in serious trouble when the rain started.

3. 3
   noun

   Extra effort or inconvenience.

   She went to a lot of trouble to make us feel welcome.

4. 4
   verb

   To cause someone worry, inconvenience, or discomfort.

   Sorry to trouble you, but could you help me with this?

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Trouble came into Middle English through Old French truble from Latin turbidus, “disturbed, violent, turbid.” Turbidus was formed from turba, “a crowd” or “disturbance,” which also lies behind related words such as disturb, perturb, turbid, and turbulent. From its first recorded English use in the 13th century, trouble meant difficulty or problems.

Verb is from Middle English troublen, trouble, 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 trouble, troble, from Old French troble, from the verb.

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External links

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• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary