troubled
6 synonyms and 0 antonyms for troubled, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Adj — Anxious, worried, or burdened by difficulties.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
How to use troubled
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Frequently asked questions
What does “troubled” mean?
The word “troubled” means anxious, worried, or burdened by difficulties. In plain terms, weighed down by worry or hardship, whether emotionally or in one's life circumstances.
How do you pronounce “troubled”?
“Troubled” is pronounced TRUHBLD (/ˈtɹʌbl̩d/ in IPA).
How do you use “troubled” in a sentence?
Here is “troubled” used in a sentence: “He gave a troubled look at the growing pile of unpaid bills.”
What part of speech is “troubled”?
“Troubled” is an adjective.
Is “troubled” a common word?
“Troubled” is a fairly common word in modern English.
What is the difference between "troubled" and "troubling"?
"Troubled" describes someone who feels anxious or burdened (a troubled student), while "troubling" describes something that causes worry (troubling news). This follows the usual -ed and -ing pattern for participle adjectives, where -ed shows the feeling and -ing shows the cause.
What is the difference between "troubled" and "worried"?
"Worried" usually refers to temporary anxiety about a particular thing, such as an exam. "Troubled" tends to suggest deeper or more lasting distress and difficulty, as in a troubled childhood or a deeply troubled person.
Can "troubled" describe a place or period rather than a person?
Yes. "Troubled" can describe times, places, or situations burdened by difficulty, as in troubled times, a troubled region, or a company's troubled history. In these uses it points to instability and problems rather than personal feeling.
What are common collocations with "troubled"?
Frequent pairings include troubled times, troubled waters, a troubled childhood, a troubled relationship, and deeply troubled. These reflect its senses of both personal distress and wider difficulty.