troubling

adjective

trou·​bling ˈtrə-b(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce troubling (audio)
Synonyms of troublingnext
: causing feelings of worry or anxiety
a troubling news report
It's not just trauma survivors who may be distracted or derailed by shocking or troubling material …—Angus Johnston
troublingly adverb

Synonyms of troubling

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of troubling in a Sentence

the most troubling sign of all is that he's stopped returning my phone calls
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Fans of celebrity bald eagle Jackie are again grappling with troubling news about her health, the latest downturn in an uneven recovery since her rescue near Big Bear Lake last month. — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2026 But widening the aperture to focus on both the cash that arrives — operating cash flow — and what is left over paints a less-troubling long-term picture than a narrower discussion focused only on free cash flow. — Zev Fima, CNBC, 6 Aug. 2026 But in interviews with more than a dozen doctors, scientists, federal officials and addiction activists, along with a review of research and government data, NPR found that what happened that night in Oregon is part of a troubling national pattern. — Brian Mann, NPR, 6 Aug. 2026 But what’s perhaps more troubling are the implications of AI as an increasingly active participant in conversations surrounding beauty. — Jaimie Potters, InStyle, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for troubling

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of troubling was in the 14th century

Rhymes for troubling

See All Rhymes for troubling

Browse Nearby Words

trouble spot
troubling
troublingly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Troubling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/troubling. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on troubling

Nglish: Translation of troubling for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All