trouble

A2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈtɹɐb.əl/ UK /ˈtɹʌb.əl/ See IPA manual

Freq #477

Meanings

1

noun
A problem, difficulty, or worry.

One trouble after another delayed the job.
2

noun
A dangerous, difficult, or unpleasant situation.

He was in serious trouble when the rain started.
3

noun
Extra effort or inconvenience.

She went to a lot of trouble to make us feel welcome.
4

verb
To cause someone worry, inconvenience, or discomfort.

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

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a problem, difficulty, or... problem difficulty

2 noun · a dangerous, difficult, or... bind fix dilemma

3 noun · extra effort or inconvenience. difficulty

4 verb · to cause someone worry,... inconvenience

Word family

Forms troublestroublinguntroubled

Derived forms distroubledouble-troubletrouble-causertrouble-freetrouble-makertrouble-mongertroubled troublemakertroublertroubleshoottroubleshootertroubleshooting

Related forms turbid turbulent

Etymology

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.

troublen Middle English troubler Old French *turbulō la-vul turbula Latin trouble Middle English troble Old French

View etymology graph ->

External links

# trouble

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈtɹɐb.əl/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈtɹʌb.əl/
**Frequency rank:** 477

## Meanings
1. A problem, difficulty, or worry.
2. A dangerous, difficult, or unpleasant situation.
3. Extra effort or inconvenience.
4. To cause someone worry, inconvenience, or discomfort.

## Examples
- One trouble after another delayed the job.
- He was in serious trouble when the rain started.
- She went to a lot of trouble to make us feel welcome.
- Sorry to trouble you, but could you help me with this?

## Derived Forms
- distrouble
- double-trouble
- trouble-causer
- trouble-free
- trouble-maker
- trouble-monger
- troubled
- troublemaker
- troubler
- troubleshoot
- troubleshooter
- troubleshooting

## Related Forms
- turbid
- turbulent

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: troublen
- Root: troubler
- Root: *turbulō
- Root: turbula
- Root: trouble
- Root: troble

## Etymology
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.

## AI Etymology
Trouble 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. In present-day use, it can mean a problem, difficulty, or worry, or a dangerous, difficult, or unpleasant situation. Derived formations include distrouble, double-trouble, trouble-causer, trouble-free, trouble-maker, trouble-monger, troubled, troublemaker.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

markdown

trouble

Meanings

Thesaurus

Common collocations

Etymology

Topics

External links

Keyboard Shortcuts

General

Send feedback