adj
Common
troubled
TRUHBLD
Troubled (adj) means Anxious, worried, or burdened by difficulties. Example: “The troubled student found it hard to sleep before the results came out.”
adj
1
Anxious, worried, or burdened by difficulties.
"The troubled student found it hard to sleep before the results came out."
"He gave a troubled look at the growing pile of unpaid bills."
"She had a troubled childhood, moving between foster homes."
How to use troubled
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishWeighed down by worry or hardship, whether emotionally or in one's life circumstances.
Common pairings
troubled childhood
troubled relationship
troubled times
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like troubled.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Comparative
- more troubled
- Superlative
- most troubled
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The _____ student found it hard to sleep before the results came out.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
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.
