as in disturbing
causing worry or anxiety
the most troubling sign of all is that he's stopped returning my phone calls
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in worrying
to experience concern or anxiety
don't trouble about me—I'll be fine
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in weighing
to cause discomfort to or trouble for
I hate to trouble you, but would you mind moving for a minute so I can sweep under your chair?
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of troubling
Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026
Haunted by her own traumas and hidden scars, Kitts struggles to piece together the clues and separate Raevyn’s madness from an even more troubling reality.
—News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Jan. 2026
Neil Winton, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Yet most fans do not care unduly about what a squad costs and while sound financial management is welcomed, the strength of the team is the thing that is troubling them right now.
—Steve Madeley, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for troubling
Adjective
In 2021, the House voted to strip her of her committee appointments, over various troubling remarks, including her skepticism that a plane crashed into the Pentagon on 9/11.
—Verb
China is poised to win great swathes of the booming European EV market and that is troubling the automakers.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for troubling
Adjective
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Despite already having declared her candidacy, McKnight voiced disturbing and violent threats against Sheehy.—
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This story contains a description of a shooting some readers may find disturbing.—
Verb
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In Tokyo, travelers can explore the bustling neighborhoods of Shibuya, Harajuku, and Shinjuku, admire cutting-edge architecture, stroll through peaceful Japanese gardens, and experience vibrant nightlife without worrying about personal safety.—
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Devices stay online without worrying about draining the car’s starter battery.—
Verb
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Just a few months ago, McKenna was weighing the two schools against each other, the Spartans finishing as runners-up in his historic recruiting war.—
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Lawmakers are still weighing the costs to the state of doing so and have yet to decide on an approach, House Speaker Mike Moyle, R-Star, told the Idaho Statesman.—
Adjective
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Compared to the swooning Gothic romance of Francis Ford Coppola’s Dracula, Kenneth Branagh’s Frankenstein is just too perverse — in an unsettling way.—
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At the same time, the detective assigned to the case begins to uncover secrets about Scout, along with an unsettling breakthrough in Georgia’s death.—
Verb
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Ibrahim keeps bothering me endlessly, touching my leg and thigh.—
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Ask her if anything is bothering her.—
Adjective
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Experts immediately pointed out that Hassett had used a misleading method known as a cubic fit to make the mortality data appear less frightening.—
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When the sun went down, the Santa Anas began to blow, and the fire shifted into the familiar, frightening rhythm of inevitability.—
Verb
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No one forced them to expand to the West Coast, inconveniencing coaches, players and fans of 14 other schools.—
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Need someone to absorb your wife’s anger over that extramarital affair without inconveniencing your mistress?—
Cite this Entry
“Troubling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/troubling. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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