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Definition of troubling

troubling

/ˈtrʌb.lɪŋ/
trou · bling
Adverb:troublingly
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troubling Lexical Profile

troubling Game Scores & Validity

• adjective

1

Causing distress, anxiety, or worry; disturbing or unsettling.

Example

"The committee reviewed several troubling reports regarding the decline of local honeybee populations."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
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• Rhymes for troubling

• Nearby Words

troublesome
troublesomely
troublesomeness
troubling
troublingly
trough
trounce

Word Origin & Etymology

Formed from the verb 'trouble' (derived via Old French from Latin 'turbulare', meaning 'to stir up or make turbid') and the participial suffix '-ing'.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Troubling. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/troubling
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