# borrow trouble

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/borrow-trouble
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To worry about future events not in one's control and that may not come to pass.

## Examples

- Don't borrow trouble by worrying about things that haven't happened yet.
- You are already stressed about next year's budget, but there is no point in borrowing trouble before the meeting even starts.
- Instead of borrowing trouble by imagining every possible failure, she chose to focus her energy on the tasks she could actually control today.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.