ENGLISH
REFERENCE

troublesome

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈtɹəbəɫsəm// UK //tɹˈʌbəlsˌʌm// trou·ble·some

adj. causing a lot of problems, worry, or extra work. You use this to describe something that is difficult to deal with over a long time.

adj. causing difficulty, annoyance, or persistent problems. Often used to describe recurring issues or behavior that requires constant attention.


SIMPLE

The old car is becoming very troublesome to maintain.

CONTEXTUAL

The manager spent the afternoon dealing with a troublesome software bug that kept crashing the system.

COMPLEX

While the initial symptoms were mild, the patient soon developed a troublesome cough that resisted standard treatments and required a specialist's intervention.

Origin

From trouble + -some.

Usage

Typically used attributively before a noun or predicatively after linking verbs like 'become' or 'prove'.

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