TROUBLE

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does trouble mean? 

• TROUBLE (noun)
  The noun TROUBLE has 6 senses:

1. a source of difficulty

2. an angry disturbance

3. an event causing distress or pain

4. an effort that is inconvenient

5. a strong feeling of anxiety

6. an unwanted pregnancy

  Familiarity information: TROUBLE used as a noun is common.

• TROUBLE (verb)
  The verb TROUBLE has 5 senses:

1. move deeply

2. to cause inconvenience or discomfort to

3. disturb in mind or make uneasy or cause to be worried or alarmed

4. take the trouble to do something; concern oneself

5. cause bodily suffering to and make sick or indisposed

  Familiarity information: TROUBLE used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• TROUBLE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A source of difficulty

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

problem; trouble

Context example:

what's the problem?

Hypernyms ("trouble" is a kind of...):

difficulty (a factor causing trouble in achieving a positive result or tending to produce a negative result)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "trouble"):

pressure point (where problems or difficulties are likely to occur)

can of worms (a source of unpredictable trouble and complexity)

deep water (serious trouble)

growing pains (problems that arise in enlarging an enterprise (especially in the early stages))

hydra (trouble that cannot be overcome by a single effort because of its many aspects or its persistent and pervasive quality)

matter (a problem)

Derivation:

trouble (to cause inconvenience or discomfort to)

troublous (full of trouble)

Sense 2

Meaning:

An angry disturbance

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Synonyms:

bother; fuss; hassle; trouble

Context example:

a spot of bother

Hypernyms ("trouble" is a kind of...):

disturbance; perturbation (activity that is a malfunction, intrusion, or interruption)

Sense 3

Meaning:

An event causing distress or pain

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Context example:

heart trouble

Hypernyms ("trouble" is a kind of...):

happening; natural event; occurrence; occurrent (an event that happens)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "trouble"):

embarrassment (some event that causes someone to be embarrassed)

disturbance; interference; noise (electrical or acoustic activity that can disturb communication)

outrage; scandal (a disgraceful event)

onslaught (a sudden and severe onset of trouble)

blaze; hell (a cause of difficulty and suffering)

convulsion (a physical disturbance such as an earthquake or upheaval)

affliction (a cause of great suffering and distress)

bad luck; misfortune (unnecessary and unforeseen trouble resulting from an unfortunate event)

Derivation:

trouble (cause bodily suffering to and make sick or indisposed)

trouble (disturb in mind or make uneasy or cause to be worried or alarmed)

trouble (move deeply)

troublous (full of trouble)

Sense 4

Meaning:

An effort that is inconvenient

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

difficulty; trouble

Context example:

finished the test only with great difficulty

Hypernyms ("trouble" is a kind of...):

effort; elbow grease; exertion; sweat; travail (use of physical or mental energy; hard work)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "trouble"):

tsuris ((Yiddish) aggravating trouble)

the devil (something difficult or awkward to do or deal with)

Derivation:

trouble (take the trouble to do something; concern oneself)

Sense 5

Meaning:

A strong feeling of anxiety

Classified under:

Nouns denoting feelings and emotions

Synonyms:

trouble; worry

Context example:

he wanted to die and end his troubles

Hypernyms ("trouble" is a kind of...):

anxiety (a vague unpleasant emotion that is experienced in anticipation of some (usually ill-defined) misfortune)

Derivation:

trouble (disturb in mind or make uneasy or cause to be worried or alarmed)

trouble (move deeply)

Sense 6

Meaning:

An unwanted pregnancy

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Context example:

he got several girls in trouble

Hypernyms ("trouble" is a kind of...):

gestation; maternity; pregnancy (the state of being pregnant; the period from conception to birth when a woman carries a developing fetus in her uterus)

• TROUBLE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they trouble    ... he / she / it troubles   
Past simple: troubled   
Past participle: troubled   
-ing form: troubling   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Move deeply

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Synonyms:

disturb; trouble; upset

Context example:

A troubling thought

Hypernyms (to "trouble" is one way to...):

affect; impress; move; strike (have an emotional or cognitive impact upon)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "trouble"):

agitate; charge; charge up; commove; excite; rouse; turn on (cause to be agitated, excited, or roused)

jolt (disturb (someone's) composure)

cark; disorder; disquiet; distract; perturb; trouble; unhinge (disturb in mind or make uneasy or cause to be worried or alarmed)

distress (cause mental pain to)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s somebody

Sentence example:

The bad news will trouble him

Derivation:

trouble (an event causing distress or pain)

trouble (a strong feeling of anxiety)

Sense 2

Meaning:

To cause inconvenience or discomfort to

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

bother; discommode; disoblige; incommode; inconvenience; put out; trouble

Context example:

Sorry to trouble you, but...

Hypernyms (to "trouble" is one way to...):

affect; bear on; bear upon; impact; touch; touch on (have an effect upon)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "trouble"):

distress; straiten (bring into difficulties or distress, especially financial hardship)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Derivation:

trouble (a source of difficulty)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Disturb in mind or make uneasy or cause to be worried or alarmed

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Synonyms:

cark; disorder; disquiet; distract; perturb; trouble; unhinge

Context example:

She was rather perturbed by the news that her father was seriously ill

Hypernyms (to "trouble" is one way to...):

disturb; trouble; upset (move deeply)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "trouble"):

vex; worry (disturb the peace of mind of; afflict with mental agitation or distress)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sentence example:

The bad news will trouble him

Derivation:

trouble (an event causing distress or pain)

trouble (a strong feeling of anxiety)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Take the trouble to do something; concern oneself

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

bother; inconvenience oneself; trouble; trouble oneself

Context example:

Don't bother, please

Hypernyms (to "trouble" is one way to...):

reach; strain; strive (to exert much effort or energy)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s to INFINITIVE

Derivation:

trouble (an effort that is inconvenient)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Cause bodily suffering to and make sick or indisposed

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Synonyms:

ail; pain; trouble

Hypernyms (to "trouble" is one way to...):

hurt (give trouble or pain to)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "trouble"):

break out; erupt; recrudesce (become raw or open)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s somebody

Derivation:

trouble (an event causing distress or pain)

 Context examples 

There never was a time when there wasn’t trouble when you and that brother of yours got together, and I’ll lay twenty to one on that.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

His heart gave him a great deal of trouble.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

I shall not trouble you with questions till the time comes.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

It was not the first time that she had spoken to us of her husband’s trouble, to me as a doctor, to my wife as an old friend and school companion.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Mind you, she is a truthful woman, Mr. Holmes, and whatever trouble there may have been in her past life it has been no fault of hers.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Never mind, it saves trouble now.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

At first this caused trouble for the other dogs.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

From the time they know we are here our troubles begin.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Oh yes! don't trouble your head about her—put the thing out of your thoughts.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Trouble was always afoot, and at the bottom of it was Buck.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)