troublesomeadj.
/ˈtrʌb(ə)lsəm/ Full of, characterized by, or causing trouble.† 1. † b. Causing or inclined to cause disturbance; turbulent. Obsolete.† c. Characterized by physical disturbance or agitation; stormy. Obsolete.
a. Full of disturbance or tumult; disturbed, disorderly, unsettled, troublous. Obsolete.
ΘΚΠ
society > society and the community > dissent > lack of peacefulness > [adjective]
unquietc1384
troublousc1449
peaceless1522
troublesome1548
strifeful1621
the world > relative properties > order > disorder > confusion or disorder > commotion, disturbance, or disorder > [adjective]
troublousc1449
unquiet?1520
troublesome1548
tumultuous1548
disturbed1593
hurly-burly1598
wild1600
unsettled1605
routing1634
tumultuary1650
dissettled1673
embroiled1709
weltering1831
1548 Hall's Vnion: Henry IV f. xix His painfull and busi wanderyng, his troblesome and vncertaine abidyng.
1560 J. Daus tr. J. Sleidane Commentaries f. xcviij The state of christendom was troublesome.
1599 J. Lok in R. Hakluyt Princ. Navigations (new ed.) II. i. 111 There arose in the ship such a troublesome disturbance, that all the ship was in an vprore with weapons.
1687 C. Aldworth in J. R. Bloxham Magdalen Coll. & James II (1886) 63 In troublesome times.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > adversity > [adjective] > attended by or causing affliction
eileOE
soreOE
unselec1050
evilc1175
derfa1225
stourc1275
feeble1297
illa1325
fella1400
unhappya1400
unwealful1412
importunea1425
noisomea1450
shrewd1482
importunable?c1485
importunate1490
funestal1538
nippingc1550
troublesome1552
pinching1563
grievesome1568
afflicting1573
afflictive1576
pressing1591
lacerating1609
funest1636
funestous1641
gravaminous1659
unkind1682
plightful1721
damning1798
acanthocladous1858
damnatory1858
fraught1966
society > society and the community > dissent > lack of peacefulness > [adjective] > of disposition
troublousc1485
troublesome1552
unpacifica1750
dispeaceful1892
trouble-making1920
1552 R. Huloet Abcedarium Anglico Latinum Troublesome, or full of troublynge, or who troubleth muche, vexabundus.
1591 H. Savile tr. Tacitus Ende of Nero: Fower Bks. Hist. i. 37 His froward and troublesome disposition.
1687 H. Holden in J. R. Bloxham Magdalen Coll. & James II (1886) (modernized text) 124 The Crowd..was very troublesome.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the earth > water > body of water > moving water > [adjective] > agitated
troublous1482
troublesome1560
broken1793
the world > the earth > water > flow or flowing > state of sea > [adjective] > rough
woodc900
drofc1000
bremea1300
scaldinga1300
sharp1377
wrothc1400
welteringc1420
rude?a1439
wawishc1450
wallya1522
robustuousa1544
troublesome1560
turbulent1573
boisterous?1594
lofty1600
enridged1608
hollow1705
ugly1744
testy1833
topping1857
seething1871
troughy1877
the world > the earth > weather and the atmosphere > weather > bad weather > [adjective] > stormy
reigheOE
stormya1200
wilda1250
troublec1374
rougha1400
stormishc1430
rude?a1439
boistous1470
troublous1482
wair?a1500
tempestuous1509
blusterous1548
rugged1549
stormful1558
troublesome1560
turbulent1573
ruggy1577
rufflered1582
oragious?1590
boisterous?1594
broily1594
unruly1594
procellousa1629
gurly1718
coarse1774
ugly1844
1560 J. Daus in tr. J. Sleidane Commentaries Ep. sig. Aiiv In so many troublesome stormes, and tempestes ful of pearil.
1610 P. Holland tr. W. Camden Brit. i. 697 It is a troublesome river and dangerous even in summer time.
1623 W. Lisle in tr. Ælfric Saxon Treat. Old & New Test. Pref. A troublesome and tempestuous sea.
2. † b. Troubled in mind, having trouble. rare.
a. Full of trouble, affliction, or distress; troubled, sorrowful. archaic.
ΚΠ
1552 Bk. Common Prayer (STC 16279) Publique Baptisme sig. O.iii That they..maye so passe the waues of thys troublesome world.
1585 Abp. E. Sandys Serm. xvi. 285 Heretikes, by whom it [sc. marriage] hath beene not onely misliked as troublesome, but vtterly condemned as vncleane.
1614 W. Raleigh Hist. World i. iv. vi. §4. 281 So many Darts..as tooke away his..hopes, together with his troublesome life.
1734 J. Arbuthnot Let. 4 Oct. in J. Swift Lett. (1766) III. 191 I am going out of this troublesome world.
1853 T. T. Lynch Lect. Self-improvem. ii. 43 Christianity is..plainly designed for a troublesome world.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > suffering > state of being upset or perturbed > [adjective]
reigheOE
drofc1000
druvyOE
restlessOE
worya1225
forstraughtc1386
unquertc1390
unsaughtc1390
ill (evil) at easea1400
unrofula1400
unquietc1400
unrestya1413
unquieted?a1425
unrestful?c1425
unpeaceda1475
out of quieta1500
inquiet?1504
uneasya1513
perturbed1538
unquietous?1545
disquieted?1548
astraught1564
astraughted1565
agitate1567
turmoiled1570
disquiet1587
distroubled1590
weltered1590
disturbed1593
twitcheda1594
troublesome1596
stract1598
uncomposed1601
discomposed1603
incomposed1608
uncouth1660
unserene1664
chagrin1665
agitated1684
perturbated1704
disordered1711
perturbate1741
chagrineda1754
nervish1760
uncomfortable1796
funked1831
untranquillized1831
streaked1833
striped1839
discomfortable1844
streaky1848
bothered1851
funked out1859
bebothered1866
disorderly1871
fantod1883
rattled1885
aflap1887
shook1891
dicked-up1967
torqued1967
weirded out1973
1596 J. Dalrymple tr. J. Leslie Hist. Scotl. (1888) I. 289 For the cleir cloudis to the dulfull was pleisant, and to the trublesum happie.
3. Giving trouble; causing annoyance; vexatious, distressing, worrying, bothering.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > suffering > state of annoyance or vexation > [adjective] > annoying or vexatious
angeeOE
swinkfuleOE
plightlyOE
teenfulOE
contrariousc1320
drefa1325
troublinga1325
despitousa1340
thornya1340
discomfortablec1350
troublablec1374
noyousa1382
noyfulc1384
diseasy1387
angrya1393
painful1395
hackinga1400
annoying?c1400
annoyousc1400
cumbrousc1400
teenc1400
annoyfulc1405
sputousc1420
diseasefula1425
molest?a1425
noying?a1425
noisomea1450
grievingc1450
tedious?1454
troublous1463
noisantc1475
displeasant1481
strouble1488
nuisant1494
noyanta1500
irksome1513
sturting1513
molestious1524
vexatious1534
cumbersome1535
uncommodious1541
spiteful1548
vexing?1548
incommodious1551
molestous1555
diseasing1558
grating1563
pestilent1565
sturtsome1570
molestuousa1572
troublesome1573
murrain1575
discommodable1579
galling1583
spiny1586
unsupportable1586
troubleful1588
plaguey1594
distressingc1595
molestful1596
molesting1598
vexful1598
fretful1603
briery1604
bemadding1608
mortifying1611
tiry1611
distressfula1616
irking1629
angersome1649
disobliging1652
discomforting1654
incomfortable1655
incommode1672
ruffling1680
unconvenient1683
pestifying1716
trying1718
offending1726
bothering1765
pesky1775
weary1785
sturty1788
unaccommodating1790
tiresome1798
werriting1808
bothersome1817
plaguesome1828
pestilential1833
fretsome1834
languorous1834
pesty1834
pestersome1843
nettlesome1845
miserable1850
niggling1854
distempering1855
be-maddeninga1861
nattery1873
nagging1883
pestiferous1890
trouble-giving1893
maddening1896
molestive1905
nuisancy1906
balls-aching?1912
nuisance1922
nattering1949
noodgy1969
dickheaded1991
dickish1991
cockish1996
1573 G. Harvey Let.-bk. (1884) 4 I hope you wil haue me excusid thouh I be trubblesum to your waihtier affaiers.
1602 W. Shakespeare Merry Wives of Windsor i. i. 292 Well sir, I will not be troublesome.
1604 E. Grimeston tr. J. de Acosta Nat. & Morall Hist. Indies ii. xiii. 112 Why are not the nightes in summer at Peru, as hotte and troublesome as in Spaine?
1662 J. Davies tr. A. Olearius Voy. & Trav. Ambassadors 97 This small mony..is troublesome in the telling and handling.
1755 J. Wesley Primitive Physick (ed. 5) 82 If the Cough be very troublesome.
1839 C. Thirlwall Hist. Greece VI. xlv. 33 If the barbarians were troublesome neighbours.
4. † b. Painstaking, laborious. Obsolete. rare.
a. Involving labour or effort; toilsome, laborious, difficult; tiresome, wearisome, oppressive. Now rare.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > difficulty > types of difficulty > [adjective] > difficult or troublesome
torc1175
terea1400
terefull1508
troublesome1576
livelya1777
1576 A. Fleming tr. C. Plinius Novocomensis in Panoplie Epist. 243 An office of exceeding great authoritie, and maruellous troublesome.
1600 J. Pory tr. J. Leo Africanus Geogr. Hist. Afr. v. 236 Their streetes either descend or ascend, which is verie troublesome to them that haue any busines in the towne.
1632 W. Lithgow Totall Disc. Trav. vi. 253 Leauing our troublesome way.
1780 Mirror No. 97. ⁋30 When I first got the multiplication-table by heart..it was a plaguy troublesome job.
1836–41 W. T. Brande Man. Chem. (ed. 5) 485 Phosphorus may be purified by careful distillation, but the process is troublesome and dangerous.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > manner of action > care, carefulness, or attention > [adjective] > careful or painstaking
peniblec1375
industrious1531
painful1531
hoful1565
industrous1570
laboriose1680
painstakinga1685
troublesome1818
the world > action or operation > manner of action > effort or exertion > [adjective] > acting with exertion > taking trouble
peniblec1375
laboriose1680
troublesome1818
1818 T. Moore Mem. (1853) II. 245 A most learned and troublesome practician.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1915; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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adj.1548