| 释义 |
Definition of trouble in English: troublenoun ˈtrʌb(ə)lˈtrəb(ə)l mass noun1Difficulty or problems. I had trouble finding somewhere to park friends should support each other when they are in trouble the government's policies ran into trouble count noun our troubles are just beginning Example sentencesExamples - So, travelers from both sides suffer lots of troubles and inconveniences, such as difficulties in booking seats and paying overly expensive rates.
- He quietly worked out his own problems, choosing not to burden others with his troubles.
- The troubles and tribulations of parents to equip their wards for their examination and mushroom growth of coaching centres do not augur well for students, parents or society.
- Hynotherapy is administered by his ‘guru’ orthodontist, however his troubles are only just beginning.
- A few people probably went a tad overboard in suggesting solutions to our troubles, a little bit difficult to do successfully when you know the barest minimum about the situation.
- For many, music serves as an outlet from life's hardships and troubles.
- The car industry's troubles reflect widespread problems across Australia's manufacturing sector.
- Roh himself had suffered troubles on many occasions due to his aides' blunders.
- No matter how ill she was, she always enjoyed a chat and a laugh and was never one to burden people with her troubles.
- Everyone has their fair share of troubles and problems that other people don't even know about.
- All I wanted to do was run, run away from all my misery and troubles.
- Others face pressures which can affect their commitment to college, such as financial difficulties, housing problems, or troubles at home.
- Adding to his troubles, he suffered from an overactive thyroid and had an awkward physical appearance.
- But you saw me go, and that was the beginning of my troubles.
- It was failure - business failure, money problems, family troubles - as much as ambition that sent men to the colonies.
- He explains why their troubles were only beginning.
- All the ladies are extremely happy to be joining the group as it brings us all together to share news and views and, if needs be, troubles and problems.
- This, once again, is a consequence, the difficulty is a consequence of the worldwide financial troubles of the parent company.
- In many ways, it's the beginning of all his troubles.
- Of course, that's just the beginning of your troubles, according to Chris.
Synonyms problems, difficulty, issues, bother, inconvenience, worry, anxiety, distress, concern, disquiet, unease, irritation, vexation, annoyance, stress, agitation, harassment, unpleasantness informal hassle problem, misfortune, difficulty, issue, trial, tribulation, trauma, adversity, hardship, burden, distress, pain, suffering, affliction, torment, woe, grief, unhappiness, sadness, heartache, misery archaic travails in difficulty, in difficulties, having problems, in a mess, in a bad way, in a predicament, in dire/desperate straits, heading for disaster, heading for the rocks, with one's back against the wall informal in shtook, in a tight corner/spot, in a fix, in a hole, in hot water, up the creek (without a paddle), in a jam, in a pickle, in the soup, screwed, up against it British informal up a gum tree vulgar slang in the shit, in deep shit, up shit creek - 1.1 The malfunction of something such as a machine or a part of the body.
their helicopter developed engine trouble Example sentencesExamples - Sure enough, the aircraft developed engine trouble and crashed into the Pacific.
- It is believed that the accident happened when the five bikes were forced to swerve to avoid another bike, which had slowed down because of engine trouble.
- He said afterwards that his towing aircraft was either hit by flak or developed engine trouble.
- When we catch smugglers at sea, they will pretend to have engine trouble.
- Reportedly, the crew ordered the immigrants overboard when the boat began having engine trouble.
- He, like many people of his age, suffered from circulatory troubles.
- The pilot contacted Rome airport officials at 3.24 pm local time reporting engine trouble.
- Stromness lifeboat was called out on Sunday evening after a fishing boat with engine trouble began drifting towards shore near the Bay of Skaill.
- When he saw Monica's car, he'd flag it down, plead engine trouble and ask if Corbett could drive him.
- Midway through the race, while the boat was stopped with engine trouble, he started slurring his speech and blacked out.
- The Piper Saratoga developed engine trouble and broke up as it hit the moor in thick mist.
- An emergency planning manager with the ambulance service was told the plane had engine trouble before the crash.
- They were to being given an airborne tour of the area when the helicopter developed trouble.
- We regally glide by a group of all-terrain-vehicle riders, one of whom is having engine trouble.
- An enemy combatant posing as a taxi driver claimed to have engine trouble.
- Eddie and Paddy developed engine trouble while Padraic and Sinead broke a drive shaft on the last stage.
- Unfortunately, despite getting pole position, he was forced out of the race early on with engine trouble.
- Apparently, his motorcycle had engine trouble and he needed to use the phone.
- Residents of the village heard the plane approach from the direction of the lake and it appeared to have engine trouble.
- They said the plane's pilots had asked for an emergency landing at Lyon Airport after it developed engine trouble.
Synonyms disease, illness, sickness, ailment, complaint, problem disorder, disability malfunction, dysfunction, failure, breakdown, fault - 1.2 Effort or exertion made to do something, especially when inconvenient.
I wouldn't want to put you to any trouble he's gone to a lot of trouble to help you Example sentencesExamples - We really didn't want to put him to any trouble, but the offer seemed too good to refuse.
- We make the journey, we take the trouble, we think the effort worth it.
- Their most recent research found people felt recycling was inconvenient and too much trouble.
- They really do save you more trouble than you care to think about.
- It took a hang of a lot of trouble and effort to make any move by the Government to make that possible, but finally it did.
- We had gone to the trouble of establishing food, water, fuel, medical kits and generators at three sites across the city.
- I refused to put him to any trouble on my account.
- She told him she didn't want to put him to any trouble but he smiled: "It would be my pleasure."
- You've gone to a lot of trouble to check your results, so I suspect you've done your calculations right.
- Attacking school segregation in court was the only effort that appeared to be worth the trouble.
- Carson had gone to a lot of trouble to make sure that things would be near perfect.
- Second, you should be sure that the defense you're going to invest all this time and effort in is worth the trouble.
- Nothing is too much trouble for the staff, as they glide effortlessly, never fuss or faff.
- I commend the speaker for the care and trouble that he took in preparing those scripted words.
- We have gone to a lot of trouble to configure these machines and provide our users with as wide an array of software as we can afford.
Synonyms bother, inconvenience, fuss, effort, exertion, work, labour pains, care, attention, thought informal hassle - 1.3 A cause of worry or inconvenience.
the kid had been no trouble up to now Example sentencesExamples - Householders neighbouring the site said there had been no trouble but they are concerned of the damage the travellers may cause.
- While his mother and sisters were away Albert was no trouble.
- Sometimes those arrested are simple innocents who have taken too much drink and are no trouble or danger to anyone but themselves.
Synonyms nuisance, bother, inconvenience, irritation, irritant, problem, trial, pest, cause of annoyance, source of difficulty, thorn in someone's flesh/side informal headache, pain in the neck, pain, pain in the backside, drag, bore North American informal pain in the butt, burr in/under someone's saddle, nudnik Australian informal fair cow British vulgar slang pain in the arse - 1.4 A particular aspect of something regarded as unsatisfactory or as a source of difficulty.
that's the trouble with capitalism Example sentencesExamples - The trouble with tar oil preservatives, it is difficult to get them to penetrate.
- The trouble with libertarians is that their models always leave out important variables.
- The trouble with travelling to foreign countries is that, quite apart from the appalling weather, you can never be sure if the tap water is safe to drink.
- The trouble with skills training is that it is part of the socialisation process and can only be learnt through experience.
- The trouble with travelling in Europe is that hotel accommodation and restaurant food costs about twice as much as in Australia.
- The trouble with the government's childcare strategy, it seems to me, is that it has employed both too much imagination, and too little.
- The trouble with this rage, though, was that the stronger I felt it, the more powerless I felt.
- The trouble with volunteers is that you can't fire them.
- The trouble with both these arguments is that they are bogus.
- The trouble with perfection is that it is so easily marred.
- The trouble with publishing is that with the accountants running things, everything is dominated by how much your last novel sold.
- The trouble with the way most politicians discuss this issue is that they blame the opposing party.
- The trouble with adult stem cells, the disadvantage of them is two-fold really.
- The trouble with politics these days is that it's all about image, and what a candidate looks like is far more important than what he or she actually says.
- The trouble with this was that I didn't want to watch pornography.
- The trouble with this analysis is that it is simplistic.
- The trouble with cars is that, while the seats in modern vehicles are fitted with all kinds of adjustments, most of us don't know how to set them properly.
- The trouble with this approach is that Scott deprives the story of any political, social or even emotional context.
- The trouble with these sites is they are not scientific, and you have to either agree or disagree with the questions when often you can do neither honestly.
- The trouble with waiting is that it's boring and frustrating.
Synonyms shortcoming, weakness, weak point, failing, fault, imperfection, defect, blemish problem, difficulty - 1.5 A situation in which one is liable to incur punishment or blame.
he's been in trouble with the police Example sentencesExamples - They also prevent any company that has been in trouble with online regulators within two years from providing online news.
- Because I was continually in trouble with the police, they were made to make a decision.
- An ultra-safe campaign has paid off, even in the rural areas where the party found itself in trouble with fuel tax campaigners and angry farmers.
- But he was a clean-cut boy who attended school and had never been in trouble with the law.
- He had never been in trouble with the police before.
- But his autocratic style has landed him in trouble with shareholders.
- The convicted drink-driver admitted to the officers he had ‘been in trouble with the police for violence’.
- Two successful riders found themselves in trouble with the stewards and picked up suspensions for excessive use of the whip.
- If they lived in the Sixties they would be called free spirits, but they don't and inevitably end up in trouble with the authorities.
- You will get in trouble with the police and end up in prison.
- You might hurt the bully and get sued or in trouble with the police.
- A fridge disposal company already at the centre of a safety investigation is in trouble with environment chiefs again.
- She was constantly in trouble with police, and was at the centre of a storm of protest a number of years ago when it emerged she was being held in an adult prison.
- They let me go in 24 hours because I had never been in trouble with the law before.
- What if collaborating below and/or laterally gets you in trouble with the hierarchy above you?
- Is a child's rights protected when he or she is in trouble with the law?
- I remember getting in trouble with a policeman for scrumping.
- He got in trouble with feminist groups and his career was derailed.
- She has been in trouble with the police since she was 11, stealing, terrorising the neighbours, setting fire to things.
- The proposed legislation drew criticism from the opposition Reform party for being too easy on youth who get in trouble with the law.
- 1.6dated, informal Used to refer to the condition of a pregnant unmarried woman.
she's not the first girl who's got herself into trouble Example sentencesExamples - Families went to great lengths to avoid neighbors and friends finding out their daughter had ‘got herself into trouble’.
- Oh dear, she's gone the next step and got herself into trouble.
- I knew, that in our society, I would be labelled a "bad girl" who got herself into trouble.
2Public unrest or disorder. there was crowd trouble before and during the match Example sentencesExamples - This led to his dismissal from the pitch by the fourth official for inciting possible crowd trouble.
- While out and about, police constantly scan crowds for indications of trouble.
- The unsavoury football history between the two countries at both club and international level makes crowd trouble extremely likely.
- Among the highlights were crowd trouble, arrests and the inevitable tabloid furore that accompanies such incidents.
- The rest were drawn, or abandoned because of bad weather, crowd trouble, or assassination.
- Several town centre pubs were closed because of fears of crowd trouble while others put security staff on the doors.
- Crowd trouble at Bulldogs' matches has also contributed to the fall in attendances, but nothing seems to be able to stop their winning run.
- But the Belgium police in the city were well prepared for trouble.
- The smoking ban has caused little trouble in our local public houses.
- Offenders could face fines of up to £500 and Rochdale council can ban alcohol in public places where trouble is rife.
- Nobody wanted mutterings about crowd trouble besmirching the memory.
- The FA had urged fans not to travel over fears crowd trouble could lead to England being banned from the tournament.
- Germany's victory will go some way to redeeming the first major outbreak of crowd trouble of the tournament.
- What will happen if somebody uses one if there's trouble in a crowd and innocent people get hurt?
- The event was marred by crowd trouble when a section of the 300 onlookers turned on a foreign film crew.
- He said the rank at the moment has to deal with too many taxis and has become a hot-spot for trouble because of crowds congregating there at night.
- The test was designed to simulate what would happen if their offices became unusable in the event of a wide-scale power loss or crowd trouble.
- He also reminded delegates about the crowd trouble in Lansdowne Road some years ago at a soccer international.
- In recent years the main story behind this fixture has been one of crowd trouble but this gets barely a sentence in the whole book.
- The police would no doubt argue that provocative goal celebrations could incite crowd trouble.
Synonyms disturbance, disorder, unrest, bother, fighting, scuffling, conflict, tumult, commotion, turbulence, uproar, ructions, fracas, rumpus, brouhaha, furore, breach of the peace Law, dated affray informal to-do, hoo-ha, hullabaloo British informal kerfuffle - 2.1 Any of various periods of civil war or unrest in Ireland, especially in 1919–23 and (in Northern Ireland) since 1968.
verb ˈtrʌb(ə)lˈtrəb(ə)l [with object]1Cause distress or anxiety to. he was not troubled by doubts Example sentencesExamples - Denial is a powerful emotional defence against acknowledging painful, distressing or troubling knowledge.
- I would like to pick up some of the primary concerns that troubled National members as we heard submissions on this bill.
- For once in a long while, Amseth was able to work away his worries and was not troubled.
- She had a job to do and couldn't be troubled by social worries.
- He went to trial a broken man, depressed and troubled by acute anxieties.
- I think Italian etiquette is less troubled by this anxiety.
- The European Union trade commissioner acknowledges on this broadcast last night that it is a concerning and troubling problem.
- Antonia had only been troubled by one thing: her anxiety over the idea of living in Denver, the location to which Larry had been rerouted.
- If the patient has troubling emotions or memories, focusing on these will prolong distress - at least in the situation.
- I have felt concern and sometimes troubled by the issues that were raised two years ago.
- She doubted he would be troubling any other girls now.
- Wouldn't it also hurt to have Adam look at me differently if he knew of the burdens that troubled my mind even before Jack came into my life?
- I am puzzled and troubled by this in light of my previous decision.
- But I have always been troubled by doubts on one item: In my innermost heart, I wonder if the supply curve really slopes upward.
- But he seems more puzzled than troubled by this quandary.
- Others have come home deeply distressed and troubled by what they witnessed.
- She still looked worried though, like she had troubled thoughts on her mind that she wasn't sure she could talk about.
- Their conscience was not troubled by worries over objectivity.
- We are very concerned and troubled by the numerous public reports, at times erroneous, about his condition, requests by our family and other details.
- Young priests in particular were more and more troubled by such doubts.
Synonyms worry, bother, cause concern to, concern, disturb, upset, make anxious, make uncomfortable, make uneasy, agitate, distress, grieve, alarm, perturb, annoy, irritate, vex, irk, torment, plague, nag, niggle, gnaw at, prey on someone's mind, weigh/lie heavy on someone's mind, oppress, weigh down, burden, afflict perplex, puzzle informal bug - 1.1trouble about/over/withno object Be distressed or anxious about.
she was too concerned with her own feelings to trouble about Clare's Example sentencesExamples - He need not trouble himself with attempts to arrive at a sane definition of that useful old paradox ‘constitutional monarchy’.
- That is a question no one has had to ask or trouble themselves with in the twentieth century.
- He never troubled himself about the matter again.
- No offense meant, but you don't strike me as the type he would trouble himself about.
- But Mona probably wasn't troubling herself with those names.
- He finally decided on not troubling himself with it.
- The appeal, however, was allowed upon another ground which the Court does not need to trouble itself with, that is, that the judge misdirected the jury upon the appellant's unsworn statement.
- Literary fashion moved away from works that troubled themselves with too much meaning, with a ‘larger reality’ or the moral dimensions of human aspiration.
- Don't trouble yourself with that, Riley dear, I'll take care of our attire.
- The matter he is troubling himself with has now been relegated, by history, to matters of least importance.
- I'm not an expert on how to make somebody look good on TV, so I don't trouble myself with that.
- Lee, do not trouble yourself with such proclamations.
- Certainly do not trouble yourself with this matter so soon after the trauma itself has occurred.
- Assuming the requisite piece of paper, which I suspect is about to be handed to the Registrar, arrives in time, then we need not trouble ourselves with that.
- ‘It's no use troubling ourselves about this now,’ she continued.
- That is nothing you should trouble yourself with.
- Though my face was rather plain, I rarely troubled myself with making it up to enhance it.
- We want more and more people to come out and discover the easy ways of staying fit instead of troubling themselves with difficult trips to the gym, ‘the marathon runner said.’
- I don't understand how that works either, but why trouble yourself over it?
- ‘Don't trouble yourself with that,’ Lady Miller said, ‘Your father will deal with it as he always has.’
Synonyms be anxious, be distressed, be concerned, concern oneself, worry, upset oneself, fret, agonize - 1.2 Cause (someone) pain.
my legs started to trouble me Example sentencesExamples - The groin had been troubling me for some time and I guess that was the straw that broke the camel's back.
- His back still troubles him, but he deals with it and moves on.
- There were no real problems and I was pretty happy with my time. My calf had been troubling me in the build-up to the race and I wasn't even sure if I was going to run.
- ‘The injury had been troubling him for a wee while,’ said William.
- The now-familiar rapid pulsing started up along my thighs, easing away the touch of sciatica that was troubling me.
- I did a bit of practice, had several physiotherapy sessions on my shoulder and ankle, both of which have been troubling me of late.
- Now, for the first time this season, neither knee is troubling him and there is no prospect of a move, at least until the summer.
- He had admitted before the kick-off that his Achilles heel is sorely troubling him and that 70% is the best he can now deliver.
- The pain was troubling him towards the latter stages but with a week to recover to the next game, he has the time to mend properly.
- She will miss the Games because of a hamstring injury that has been troubling her since July.
- Even while injured last year he bored through the Kerry defence for a wonderful early goal like a knife through butter but after that the pain of a groin injury which had troubled him for quite some time took its toll.
- But Yorkshire are still awaiting instructions from England as to whether they can bowl Craig or go on using him solely as a batsman if his back injury is still troubling him.
- This task, undertaken at a time when his arm was still troubling him, must have kept him busy for several weeks.
- Randy was troubled by back pain at times.
- Considering he didn't speak any English two years ago, he has developed a good vocabulary, particularly apparent when detailing parts of his knee and shin that are troubling him.
- Having recovered from flu an ankle injury has troubled him all summer but he has played through the pain.
- He looked paler and sweatier than usual, and one leg seemed to trouble him a bit.
Synonyms be afflicted with/by, be bedevilled by, be beset with/by, be dogged by, be incapacitated with, be racked with, be cursed with suffer from informal be a martyr to archaic ail with - 1.3 Cause (someone) inconvenience (typically used as a polite way of asking someone to do something)
could I trouble you for a receipt? Example sentencesExamples - ‘I'm sorry for troubling you, but we just want to speak with you concerning your son,’ Manda spoke up.
- I'm sorry for troubling you but your help will definitely be appreciated.
- I will be off now, I am sorry for troubling you with my qualms… it is not a very noble thing, to tell a man who is not my husband each fear that crosses my mind.
- "I'm sorry for troubling you," the girl politely replied.
Synonyms inconvenience, cause inconvenience to, bother, impose on, create difficulties for, disturb, put out, disoblige informal hassle rare discommode, incommode - 1.4no object, with infinitive Make the effort required to do something.
oh, don't trouble to answer Example sentencesExamples - Alison rolled her eyes, not bothering to trouble with an answer the second time.
- I am accustomed to facing a wall of silence from academics I challenge, thus my surprise that you have troubled to answer.
- In this case, where Chomsky makes an extreme assertion without troubling to give a source at all, it requires examining a large amount of material to come to a conclusion.
Synonyms bother, take the trouble/time, go to the trouble, make the effort, exert oneself, go out of one's way
Phrases informal Act in a way that is likely to incur problems or difficulties. hitching a lift is asking for trouble Example sentencesExamples - Any time you handle cash, you're asking for trouble.
- I'm asking for trouble with those statements, aren't I?
- The main message of the movie is that you need to love yourself before you can love anyone else, and that putting blind faith in a committed relationship is just asking for trouble.
- Well, that's just asking for trouble, isn't it?
- If there's one thing I've learnt during the years I've been doing my current job, it's that I should never try to update the website and send a virus alert within an hour of going home - it's just asking for trouble.
- Providing them with somewhere to meet, have fun and exercise is just asking for trouble… they are just going to drink and take drugs.
- Fireworks, we all agreed, were just asking for trouble.
- Pointing the finger and shouting in someone's face, that's asking for trouble.
- But war without end is not a policy; it's asking for trouble.
- Second, having the government direct the flow of that large quantity of investment capital, however indirectly, is just asking for trouble.
informal Behave in a way that is likely to provoke an argument or fight. youths take a cocktail of drink and drugs before going out to look for trouble Example sentencesExamples - So foxes have an undeserved reputation for aggressive behaviour - they do not look for trouble, they do not pick a fight.
- You were looking for a fight and you were looking for trouble.
- Meanwhile, no one stops to ask what happens to Billy Elliot's schoolmates, who are still hanging around outside the chippy of a winter evening looking for trouble instead of jobs.
- Overall everyone was on good behaviour and if someone was looking for trouble, it was obvious that we had the manpower to deal with it.
- I've heard of traffic cops pulling kids over just because they were dressed like punks and ‘looked like they were looking for trouble.’
- The victim was not looking for trouble and got drawn into a situation because he was trying to calm people down.
- Scarlet loves fighting and is always looking for trouble… some say that he dresses in red so that nobody will notice the blood stains on his clothes…
- He said: ‘She did not go out that evening looking for trouble.’
- There are madly intoxicated thugs coming onto streets in the small hours apparently looking for trouble and even to make eye contact with them is to invite confrontation of a violent kind.
- I don't know if they were drunk or just looking for trouble, but some were carrying beer and they started whistling at the girls.
Exert effort and energy in accomplishing or attempting something. we should take the trouble to find out more Example sentencesExamples - Organised divers are the ones who allow for bad traffic and long queues—they have probably taken the trouble to check ahead.
- I think that the reason he took the trouble to dress formally is because he had a great regard for etiquette.
- They haven't even taken the trouble of picking up the phone and saying they're sorry for our loss.
- I wish they could calm down and take the trouble to explain exactly what these limitations are likely to be.
- It is obvious that he has not taken the trouble to avail himself of all the information relevant, which was freely available to anyone who cared to look.
- At a previous dinner he had taken the trouble to go backstage to thank the chefs and pose for photographs.
Example sentencesExamples - The rhymers par excellence have been the Cockneys of London, who have developed an elaborate and colourful collection of slang terms based on rhyme, such as trouble and strife for ‘wife’ and mince pies for ‘eyes’.
- Thus the trouble and strife would walk down the apples and pears and along the frog and toad to use the public dog and bone.
- Forget the trouble and strife (and I know what that's a cockneyism for!) forget the chores and the deadlines, forget that the nose is at the grindstone, that the shoulder is to the wheel, that the coalface is being confronted.
Synonyms girlfriend, girl, sweetheart, partner, significant other, inamorata, fiancée
a trouble shared is a trouble halved proverb Talking to someone else about one's problems helps to alleviate them. Example sentencesExamples - They say a trouble shared is a trouble halved, but when holiday anxiety strikes, I suffer in silence.
- Learn to talk about it: Sometimes a trouble shared is a trouble halved.
- On the basis that a trouble shared is a trouble halved, I will share some of my troubles with you.
- Build a social support network of friends and family - remember a trouble shared is a trouble halved.
- A self-help group runs on the principle that a trouble shared is a trouble halved.
- The saying, ‘a trouble shared is a trouble halved’ is just as true when it comes to your physical health as it is in relation to your emotional health.
- It's said that a trouble shared is a trouble halved, but what if that was actually true?
- There is the old saying: a trouble shared is a trouble halved, so forming or joining a support group may benefit them.
- They say a trouble shared is a trouble halved and it's true.
- Well since they say that a trouble shared is a trouble halved, I figured that it would also hold true in this case.
Derivatives noun ˈtrʌbləˈtrəb(ə)lər Other Baptist itinerants up and down the Atlantic coast proved themselves to be ‘troublers of churches in all places where they have been.’ Example sentencesExamples - Professor Watt of Belfast used to say that the Reformation took place without the help of Arminianism, and that when it eventually entered the Church it did so as a troubler.
- Cynics may even wonder where these grubby guitar troublers keep materialising from, given the current climate for all things retro, Stooges and, well, rock ‘n’ roll.
Origin Middle English: from Old French truble (noun), trubler (verb), based on Latin turbidus (see turbid). Our word trouble comes, by way of Old French truble, from Latin turbidus ‘disturbed, turbid’, source of turbid (early 17th century), and related to disturb (Middle English), perturb (Late Middle English), and turbulent (mid 16th century). From the start, in the 13th century, it meant ‘difficulty or problems’. ‘Man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward’ is from the biblical book of Job who was a virtuous man that God tested by sending him many troubles. Most people now think of the Troubles in Northern Ireland as beginning in the early 1970s, but the same term applied to the unrest around the partition of Ireland in 1921, and in an 1880 glossary of words used in Antrim and Down the Troubles are defined as ‘the Irish rebellion of 1641’. The first troubleshooters had a very specific occupation. In the early years of the 20th century they mended faults on telegraph or telephone lines.
Rhymes bubble, double, Hubble, nubble, rubble, stubble Definition of trouble in US English: troublenounˈtrəb(ə)lˈtrəb(ə)l 1Difficulty or problems. I had trouble finding somewhere to park friends should support each other when they are in trouble the government's policies ran into trouble our troubles are just beginning Example sentencesExamples - Others face pressures which can affect their commitment to college, such as financial difficulties, housing problems, or troubles at home.
- In many ways, it's the beginning of all his troubles.
- Everyone has their fair share of troubles and problems that other people don't even know about.
- It was failure - business failure, money problems, family troubles - as much as ambition that sent men to the colonies.
- He quietly worked out his own problems, choosing not to burden others with his troubles.
- All the ladies are extremely happy to be joining the group as it brings us all together to share news and views and, if needs be, troubles and problems.
- For many, music serves as an outlet from life's hardships and troubles.
- But you saw me go, and that was the beginning of my troubles.
- The car industry's troubles reflect widespread problems across Australia's manufacturing sector.
- Adding to his troubles, he suffered from an overactive thyroid and had an awkward physical appearance.
- He explains why their troubles were only beginning.
- Hynotherapy is administered by his ‘guru’ orthodontist, however his troubles are only just beginning.
- So, travelers from both sides suffer lots of troubles and inconveniences, such as difficulties in booking seats and paying overly expensive rates.
- This, once again, is a consequence, the difficulty is a consequence of the worldwide financial troubles of the parent company.
- Roh himself had suffered troubles on many occasions due to his aides' blunders.
- The troubles and tribulations of parents to equip their wards for their examination and mushroom growth of coaching centres do not augur well for students, parents or society.
- A few people probably went a tad overboard in suggesting solutions to our troubles, a little bit difficult to do successfully when you know the barest minimum about the situation.
- Of course, that's just the beginning of your troubles, according to Chris.
- No matter how ill she was, she always enjoyed a chat and a laugh and was never one to burden people with her troubles.
- All I wanted to do was run, run away from all my misery and troubles.
Synonyms problems, difficulty, issues, bother, inconvenience, worry, anxiety, distress, concern, disquiet, unease, irritation, vexation, annoyance, stress, agitation, harassment, unpleasantness problem, misfortune, difficulty, issue, trial, tribulation, trauma, adversity, hardship, burden, distress, pain, suffering, affliction, torment, woe, grief, unhappiness, sadness, heartache, misery in difficulty, in difficulties, having problems, in a mess, in a bad way, in a predicament, in desperate straits, in dire straits, heading for disaster, heading for the rocks, with one's back against the wall - 1.1 The malfunction of something such as a machine or a part of the body.
their helicopter developed engine trouble Example sentencesExamples - Stromness lifeboat was called out on Sunday evening after a fishing boat with engine trouble began drifting towards shore near the Bay of Skaill.
- Sure enough, the aircraft developed engine trouble and crashed into the Pacific.
- An enemy combatant posing as a taxi driver claimed to have engine trouble.
- Residents of the village heard the plane approach from the direction of the lake and it appeared to have engine trouble.
- Midway through the race, while the boat was stopped with engine trouble, he started slurring his speech and blacked out.
- It is believed that the accident happened when the five bikes were forced to swerve to avoid another bike, which had slowed down because of engine trouble.
- An emergency planning manager with the ambulance service was told the plane had engine trouble before the crash.
- He, like many people of his age, suffered from circulatory troubles.
- They said the plane's pilots had asked for an emergency landing at Lyon Airport after it developed engine trouble.
- Apparently, his motorcycle had engine trouble and he needed to use the phone.
- When we catch smugglers at sea, they will pretend to have engine trouble.
- They were to being given an airborne tour of the area when the helicopter developed trouble.
- When he saw Monica's car, he'd flag it down, plead engine trouble and ask if Corbett could drive him.
- Reportedly, the crew ordered the immigrants overboard when the boat began having engine trouble.
- The pilot contacted Rome airport officials at 3.24 pm local time reporting engine trouble.
- Eddie and Paddy developed engine trouble while Padraic and Sinead broke a drive shaft on the last stage.
- He said afterwards that his towing aircraft was either hit by flak or developed engine trouble.
- We regally glide by a group of all-terrain-vehicle riders, one of whom is having engine trouble.
- The Piper Saratoga developed engine trouble and broke up as it hit the moor in thick mist.
- Unfortunately, despite getting pole position, he was forced out of the race early on with engine trouble.
Synonyms disease, illness, sickness, ailment, complaint, problem malfunction, dysfunction, failure, breakdown, fault - 1.2 Effort or exertion made to do something, especially when inconvenient.
I wouldn't want to put you to any trouble he's gone to a lot of trouble to help you Example sentencesExamples - Attacking school segregation in court was the only effort that appeared to be worth the trouble.
- They really do save you more trouble than you care to think about.
- We make the journey, we take the trouble, we think the effort worth it.
- It took a hang of a lot of trouble and effort to make any move by the Government to make that possible, but finally it did.
- You've gone to a lot of trouble to check your results, so I suspect you've done your calculations right.
- I refused to put him to any trouble on my account.
- She told him she didn't want to put him to any trouble but he smiled: "It would be my pleasure."
- We have gone to a lot of trouble to configure these machines and provide our users with as wide an array of software as we can afford.
- Nothing is too much trouble for the staff, as they glide effortlessly, never fuss or faff.
- Second, you should be sure that the defense you're going to invest all this time and effort in is worth the trouble.
- Carson had gone to a lot of trouble to make sure that things would be near perfect.
- Their most recent research found people felt recycling was inconvenient and too much trouble.
- I commend the speaker for the care and trouble that he took in preparing those scripted words.
- We had gone to the trouble of establishing food, water, fuel, medical kits and generators at three sites across the city.
- We really didn't want to put him to any trouble, but the offer seemed too good to refuse.
Synonyms bother, inconvenience, fuss, effort, exertion, work, labour - 1.3 A cause of worry or inconvenience.
the kid had been no trouble up to now Example sentencesExamples - Householders neighbouring the site said there had been no trouble but they are concerned of the damage the travellers may cause.
- While his mother and sisters were away Albert was no trouble.
- Sometimes those arrested are simple innocents who have taken too much drink and are no trouble or danger to anyone but themselves.
Synonyms nuisance, bother, inconvenience, irritation, irritant, problem, trial, pest, cause of annoyance, source of difficulty, thorn in someone's flesh, thorn in someone's side - 1.4 A particular aspect or quality of something regarded as unsatisfactory or as a source of difficulty.
that's the trouble with capitalism Example sentencesExamples - The trouble with publishing is that with the accountants running things, everything is dominated by how much your last novel sold.
- The trouble with this rage, though, was that the stronger I felt it, the more powerless I felt.
- The trouble with perfection is that it is so easily marred.
- The trouble with both these arguments is that they are bogus.
- The trouble with tar oil preservatives, it is difficult to get them to penetrate.
- The trouble with these sites is they are not scientific, and you have to either agree or disagree with the questions when often you can do neither honestly.
- The trouble with travelling to foreign countries is that, quite apart from the appalling weather, you can never be sure if the tap water is safe to drink.
- The trouble with politics these days is that it's all about image, and what a candidate looks like is far more important than what he or she actually says.
- The trouble with this was that I didn't want to watch pornography.
- The trouble with the government's childcare strategy, it seems to me, is that it has employed both too much imagination, and too little.
- The trouble with volunteers is that you can't fire them.
- The trouble with libertarians is that their models always leave out important variables.
- The trouble with this analysis is that it is simplistic.
- The trouble with travelling in Europe is that hotel accommodation and restaurant food costs about twice as much as in Australia.
- The trouble with the way most politicians discuss this issue is that they blame the opposing party.
- The trouble with adult stem cells, the disadvantage of them is two-fold really.
- The trouble with waiting is that it's boring and frustrating.
- The trouble with skills training is that it is part of the socialisation process and can only be learnt through experience.
- The trouble with cars is that, while the seats in modern vehicles are fitted with all kinds of adjustments, most of us don't know how to set them properly.
- The trouble with this approach is that Scott deprives the story of any political, social or even emotional context.
Synonyms shortcoming, weakness, weak point, failing, fault, imperfection, defect, blemish - 1.5 A situation in which one is liable to incur punishment or blame.
he's been in trouble with the police Example sentencesExamples - You might hurt the bully and get sued or in trouble with the police.
- She was constantly in trouble with police, and was at the centre of a storm of protest a number of years ago when it emerged she was being held in an adult prison.
- He had never been in trouble with the police before.
- What if collaborating below and/or laterally gets you in trouble with the hierarchy above you?
- But he was a clean-cut boy who attended school and had never been in trouble with the law.
- They also prevent any company that has been in trouble with online regulators within two years from providing online news.
- An ultra-safe campaign has paid off, even in the rural areas where the party found itself in trouble with fuel tax campaigners and angry farmers.
- If they lived in the Sixties they would be called free spirits, but they don't and inevitably end up in trouble with the authorities.
- Because I was continually in trouble with the police, they were made to make a decision.
- They let me go in 24 hours because I had never been in trouble with the law before.
- The convicted drink-driver admitted to the officers he had ‘been in trouble with the police for violence’.
- Two successful riders found themselves in trouble with the stewards and picked up suspensions for excessive use of the whip.
- She has been in trouble with the police since she was 11, stealing, terrorising the neighbours, setting fire to things.
- He got in trouble with feminist groups and his career was derailed.
- But his autocratic style has landed him in trouble with shareholders.
- The proposed legislation drew criticism from the opposition Reform party for being too easy on youth who get in trouble with the law.
- Is a child's rights protected when he or she is in trouble with the law?
- A fridge disposal company already at the centre of a safety investigation is in trouble with environment chiefs again.
- I remember getting in trouble with a policeman for scrumping.
- You will get in trouble with the police and end up in prison.
- 1.6dated, informal Used to refer to the condition of a pregnant unmarried woman.
she's not the first girl who's gotten herself into trouble Example sentencesExamples - Families went to great lengths to avoid neighbors and friends finding out their daughter had ‘got herself into trouble’.
- Oh dear, she's gone the next step and got herself into trouble.
- I knew, that in our society, I would be labelled a "bad girl" who got herself into trouble.
2Public unrest or disorder. the cops are preparing for trouble by bringing in tear gas Example sentencesExamples - But the Belgium police in the city were well prepared for trouble.
- The police would no doubt argue that provocative goal celebrations could incite crowd trouble.
- Offenders could face fines of up to £500 and Rochdale council can ban alcohol in public places where trouble is rife.
- Several town centre pubs were closed because of fears of crowd trouble while others put security staff on the doors.
- The unsavoury football history between the two countries at both club and international level makes crowd trouble extremely likely.
- In recent years the main story behind this fixture has been one of crowd trouble but this gets barely a sentence in the whole book.
- The event was marred by crowd trouble when a section of the 300 onlookers turned on a foreign film crew.
- What will happen if somebody uses one if there's trouble in a crowd and innocent people get hurt?
- Germany's victory will go some way to redeeming the first major outbreak of crowd trouble of the tournament.
- This led to his dismissal from the pitch by the fourth official for inciting possible crowd trouble.
- He said the rank at the moment has to deal with too many taxis and has become a hot-spot for trouble because of crowds congregating there at night.
- While out and about, police constantly scan crowds for indications of trouble.
- The test was designed to simulate what would happen if their offices became unusable in the event of a wide-scale power loss or crowd trouble.
- The rest were drawn, or abandoned because of bad weather, crowd trouble, or assassination.
- The smoking ban has caused little trouble in our local public houses.
- The FA had urged fans not to travel over fears crowd trouble could lead to England being banned from the tournament.
- Among the highlights were crowd trouble, arrests and the inevitable tabloid furore that accompanies such incidents.
- He also reminded delegates about the crowd trouble in Lansdowne Road some years ago at a soccer international.
- Nobody wanted mutterings about crowd trouble besmirching the memory.
- Crowd trouble at Bulldogs' matches has also contributed to the fall in attendances, but nothing seems to be able to stop their winning run.
Synonyms disturbance, disorder, unrest, bother, fighting, scuffling, conflict, tumult, commotion, turbulence, uproar, ructions, fracas, rumpus, brouhaha, furore, breach of the peace
verbˈtrəb(ə)lˈtrəb(ə)l [with object]1Cause distress or anxiety to. he was not troubled by doubts Example sentencesExamples - Wouldn't it also hurt to have Adam look at me differently if he knew of the burdens that troubled my mind even before Jack came into my life?
- She had a job to do and couldn't be troubled by social worries.
- She doubted he would be troubling any other girls now.
- Young priests in particular were more and more troubled by such doubts.
- Antonia had only been troubled by one thing: her anxiety over the idea of living in Denver, the location to which Larry had been rerouted.
- She still looked worried though, like she had troubled thoughts on her mind that she wasn't sure she could talk about.
- I think Italian etiquette is less troubled by this anxiety.
- We are very concerned and troubled by the numerous public reports, at times erroneous, about his condition, requests by our family and other details.
- Denial is a powerful emotional defence against acknowledging painful, distressing or troubling knowledge.
- The European Union trade commissioner acknowledges on this broadcast last night that it is a concerning and troubling problem.
- For once in a long while, Amseth was able to work away his worries and was not troubled.
- Their conscience was not troubled by worries over objectivity.
- I have felt concern and sometimes troubled by the issues that were raised two years ago.
- Others have come home deeply distressed and troubled by what they witnessed.
- I am puzzled and troubled by this in light of my previous decision.
- He went to trial a broken man, depressed and troubled by acute anxieties.
- If the patient has troubling emotions or memories, focusing on these will prolong distress - at least in the situation.
- I would like to pick up some of the primary concerns that troubled National members as we heard submissions on this bill.
- But he seems more puzzled than troubled by this quandary.
- But I have always been troubled by doubts on one item: In my innermost heart, I wonder if the supply curve really slopes upward.
Synonyms worry, bother, cause concern to, concern, disturb, upset, make anxious, make uncomfortable, make uneasy, agitate, distress, grieve, alarm, perturb, annoy, irritate, vex, irk, torment, plague, nag, niggle, gnaw at, prey on someone's mind, lie heavy on someone's mind, weigh heavy on someone's mind, oppress, weigh down, burden, afflict - 1.1trouble about/over/withno object Be distressed or anxious about.
there is nothing you need trouble about Example sentencesExamples - He need not trouble himself with attempts to arrive at a sane definition of that useful old paradox ‘constitutional monarchy’.
- Assuming the requisite piece of paper, which I suspect is about to be handed to the Registrar, arrives in time, then we need not trouble ourselves with that.
- ‘It's no use troubling ourselves about this now,’ she continued.
- Lee, do not trouble yourself with such proclamations.
- He finally decided on not troubling himself with it.
- No offense meant, but you don't strike me as the type he would trouble himself about.
- The appeal, however, was allowed upon another ground which the Court does not need to trouble itself with, that is, that the judge misdirected the jury upon the appellant's unsworn statement.
- Though my face was rather plain, I rarely troubled myself with making it up to enhance it.
- Certainly do not trouble yourself with this matter so soon after the trauma itself has occurred.
- I'm not an expert on how to make somebody look good on TV, so I don't trouble myself with that.
- We want more and more people to come out and discover the easy ways of staying fit instead of troubling themselves with difficult trips to the gym, ‘the marathon runner said.’
- ‘Don't trouble yourself with that,’ Lady Miller said, ‘Your father will deal with it as he always has.’
- The matter he is troubling himself with has now been relegated, by history, to matters of least importance.
- That is nothing you should trouble yourself with.
- That is a question no one has had to ask or trouble themselves with in the twentieth century.
- Don't trouble yourself with that, Riley dear, I'll take care of our attire.
- But Mona probably wasn't troubling herself with those names.
- I don't understand how that works either, but why trouble yourself over it?
- Literary fashion moved away from works that troubled themselves with too much meaning, with a ‘larger reality’ or the moral dimensions of human aspiration.
- He never troubled himself about the matter again.
Synonyms be anxious, be distressed, be concerned, concern oneself, worry, upset oneself, fret, agonize - 1.2 Cause (someone) pain.
my legs started to trouble me Example sentencesExamples - His back still troubles him, but he deals with it and moves on.
- He looked paler and sweatier than usual, and one leg seemed to trouble him a bit.
- The pain was troubling him towards the latter stages but with a week to recover to the next game, he has the time to mend properly.
- Randy was troubled by back pain at times.
- But Yorkshire are still awaiting instructions from England as to whether they can bowl Craig or go on using him solely as a batsman if his back injury is still troubling him.
- Even while injured last year he bored through the Kerry defence for a wonderful early goal like a knife through butter but after that the pain of a groin injury which had troubled him for quite some time took its toll.
- Now, for the first time this season, neither knee is troubling him and there is no prospect of a move, at least until the summer.
- He had admitted before the kick-off that his Achilles heel is sorely troubling him and that 70% is the best he can now deliver.
- I did a bit of practice, had several physiotherapy sessions on my shoulder and ankle, both of which have been troubling me of late.
- She will miss the Games because of a hamstring injury that has been troubling her since July.
- The groin had been troubling me for some time and I guess that was the straw that broke the camel's back.
- This task, undertaken at a time when his arm was still troubling him, must have kept him busy for several weeks.
- Having recovered from flu an ankle injury has troubled him all summer but he has played through the pain.
- The now-familiar rapid pulsing started up along my thighs, easing away the touch of sciatica that was troubling me.
- ‘The injury had been troubling him for a wee while,’ said William.
- Considering he didn't speak any English two years ago, he has developed a good vocabulary, particularly apparent when detailing parts of his knee and shin that are troubling him.
- There were no real problems and I was pretty happy with my time. My calf had been troubling me in the build-up to the race and I wasn't even sure if I was going to run.
Synonyms be afflicted by, be afflicted with, be bedevilled by, be beset by, be beset with, be dogged by, be incapacitated with, be racked with, be cursed with - 1.3 Cause (someone) inconvenience (typically used as a polite way of asking someone to do or provide something)
could I trouble you for a receipt? Example sentencesExamples - ‘I'm sorry for troubling you, but we just want to speak with you concerning your son,’ Manda spoke up.
- "I'm sorry for troubling you," the girl politely replied.
- I'm sorry for troubling you but your help will definitely be appreciated.
- I will be off now, I am sorry for troubling you with my qualms… it is not a very noble thing, to tell a man who is not my husband each fear that crosses my mind.
Synonyms inconvenience, cause inconvenience to, bother, impose on, create difficulties for, disturb, put out, disoblige - 1.4no object Make the effort required to do something.
oh, don't trouble to answer Example sentencesExamples - I am accustomed to facing a wall of silence from academics I challenge, thus my surprise that you have troubled to answer.
- In this case, where Chomsky makes an extreme assertion without troubling to give a source at all, it requires examining a large amount of material to come to a conclusion.
- Alison rolled her eyes, not bothering to trouble with an answer the second time.
Synonyms bother, take the time, take the trouble, go to the trouble, make the effort, exert oneself, go out of one's way
Phrases informal Act in a way that is likely to incur problems or difficulties. hitching a lift is asking for trouble Example sentencesExamples - I'm asking for trouble with those statements, aren't I?
- Fireworks, we all agreed, were just asking for trouble.
- Any time you handle cash, you're asking for trouble.
- The main message of the movie is that you need to love yourself before you can love anyone else, and that putting blind faith in a committed relationship is just asking for trouble.
- Pointing the finger and shouting in someone's face, that's asking for trouble.
- But war without end is not a policy; it's asking for trouble.
- If there's one thing I've learnt during the years I've been doing my current job, it's that I should never try to update the website and send a virus alert within an hour of going home - it's just asking for trouble.
- Second, having the government direct the flow of that large quantity of investment capital, however indirectly, is just asking for trouble.
- Well, that's just asking for trouble, isn't it?
- Providing them with somewhere to meet, have fun and exercise is just asking for trouble… they are just going to drink and take drugs.
informal Behave in a way that is likely to provoke an argument or fight. youths take a cocktail of drink and drugs before going out to look for trouble Example sentencesExamples - There are madly intoxicated thugs coming onto streets in the small hours apparently looking for trouble and even to make eye contact with them is to invite confrontation of a violent kind.
- He said: ‘She did not go out that evening looking for trouble.’
- I don't know if they were drunk or just looking for trouble, but some were carrying beer and they started whistling at the girls.
- Overall everyone was on good behaviour and if someone was looking for trouble, it was obvious that we had the manpower to deal with it.
- Scarlet loves fighting and is always looking for trouble… some say that he dresses in red so that nobody will notice the blood stains on his clothes…
- So foxes have an undeserved reputation for aggressive behaviour - they do not look for trouble, they do not pick a fight.
- You were looking for a fight and you were looking for trouble.
- The victim was not looking for trouble and got drawn into a situation because he was trying to calm people down.
- Meanwhile, no one stops to ask what happens to Billy Elliot's schoolmates, who are still hanging around outside the chippy of a winter evening looking for trouble instead of jobs.
- I've heard of traffic cops pulling kids over just because they were dressed like punks and ‘looked like they were looking for trouble.’
Example sentencesExamples - Thus the trouble and strife would walk down the apples and pears and along the frog and toad to use the public dog and bone.
- Forget the trouble and strife (and I know what that's a cockneyism for!) forget the chores and the deadlines, forget that the nose is at the grindstone, that the shoulder is to the wheel, that the coalface is being confronted.
- The rhymers par excellence have been the Cockneys of London, who have developed an elaborate and colourful collection of slang terms based on rhyme, such as trouble and strife for ‘wife’ and mince pies for ‘eyes’.
Synonyms girlfriend, girl, sweetheart, partner, significant other, inamorata, fiancée
a trouble shared is a trouble halved proverb Talking to someone else about one's problems helps to alleviate them. Example sentencesExamples - They say a trouble shared is a trouble halved, but when holiday anxiety strikes, I suffer in silence.
- On the basis that a trouble shared is a trouble halved, I will share some of my troubles with you.
- A self-help group runs on the principle that a trouble shared is a trouble halved.
- There is the old saying: a trouble shared is a trouble halved, so forming or joining a support group may benefit them.
- They say a trouble shared is a trouble halved and it's true.
- It's said that a trouble shared is a trouble halved, but what if that was actually true?
- Build a social support network of friends and family - remember a trouble shared is a trouble halved.
- The saying, ‘a trouble shared is a trouble halved’ is just as true when it comes to your physical health as it is in relation to your emotional health.
- Learn to talk about it: Sometimes a trouble shared is a trouble halved.
- Well since they say that a trouble shared is a trouble halved, I figured that it would also hold true in this case.
Origin Middle English: from Old French truble (noun), trubler (verb), based on Latin turbidus (see turbid). |