give trouble

give (one) trouble

To be a source of struggle or problems for one. Modifiers like "some," "much," and "no," are often used before "trouble." If these kinds of math problems always seem to give you trouble, maybe you should ask your teacher for some more help. You need to go see the doctor if your knee is giving you that much trouble. If you don't want to be arrested, don't give the police any trouble.See also: give, trouble

give (somebody) (some, no, any, etc.) ˈtrouble

cause problems or difficulties: My back’s been giving me a lot of trouble lately.The children didn’t give me any trouble at all when we were out.See also: give, trouble