troubled
/ˈtɹʌbl̩d/
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Sense 1
Meaning · English
Anxious, worried, careworn.
Adjective
Examples
Thanks to that penny he had just spent so recklessly [on a newspaper] he would pass a happy hour, taken, for once, out of his anxious, despondent, miserable self. It irritated him shrewdly to know that these moments of respite from carking care would not be shared with his poor wife, with careworn,
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).
Sense 2
Meaning · English
Afflicted by difficulties.
Adjective
Examples
The troubled Internet company announced another round of layoffs last week.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “troubled” mean?
Anxious, worried, careworn.
Is “troubled” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.