trouble
- 01 A2 Elementary
n.a situation that is difficult, painful, or dangerous.
n.a state of difficulty, distress, or misfortune. Often used uncountably to describe general hardship.
Simple“The company ran into financial trouble after the new product failed to sell.”
In context“The humanitarian agency warned that the region was in deep trouble as the drought entered its third consecutive year.”
Synonyms - 02 A2 Elementary
n.a situation where you might be punished by the police, a teacher, or a parent.
n.liability to punishment or a state of being in conflict with established authority.
Simple“He got into big trouble for breaking the window with his football.”
In context“The teenager found himself in trouble with the law after being caught spray-painting the side of the library.”
Synonyms - 03 B1 Intermediate
n.the extra work or energy you use to do something for someone.
n.effort or pains taken beyond what is strictly necessary, often for the benefit of another.
Simple“Thank you for going to the trouble of picking me up from the airport.”
In context“The host went to great trouble to ensure that every guest's dietary requirements were met without making them feel awkward.”
- 04 B1 Intermediate
n.a problem with your health or a part of your body.
n.a physical ailment or malfunction of a specific organ or bodily system.
Simple“My grandfather has been having some heart trouble lately.”
In context“The patient reported persistent back trouble that radiated down his left leg, suggesting a possible nerve issue.”
- 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.fighting or violent behavior between groups of people.
n.public disorder, violence, or political unrest within a community or country.
Simple“There was some trouble in the city center after the football match ended.”
In context“The government deployed additional security forces to the border regions following reports of civil trouble and protests.”
Synonyms - 06 B1 Intermediate
v.to make someone feel worried, unhappy, or anxious.
v.to cause mental distress, anxiety, or perplexity in another person.
Simple“It troubles me that she hasn't called to say she arrived safely.”
In context“The ethical implications of the new technology continued to trouble the research team long after the project was completed.”
- 07 B1 Intermediate
v.to ask someone for help or to interrupt what they are doing.
v.to cause inconvenience or to disturb someone, often used in polite requests.
Simple“I'm sorry to trouble you, but could you tell me the time?”
In context“The secretary hesitated to trouble the CEO with such a minor administrative detail during the board meeting.”
Synonyms - 08 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to take the time or energy to do something.
v.to exert oneself or take pains to perform an action; often used in the negative to suggest laziness.
Simple“He didn't even trouble to reply to my invitation.”
In context“Few critics troubled to look beneath the surface of the film's flashy visuals to find its deeper meaning.”
Verb is from Middle English troublen, trouble, borrowed from Old French troubler, trobler, trubler, metathetic variants of tourbler, torbler, turbler, from Vulgar Latin *turbulō, from Latin turbula (“disorderly group, a little crowd or people”), diminutive of turba (“stir; crowd”). The noun is from Middle English trouble, troble, from Old French troble, from the verb.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.