trouble

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US /ˈtrʌb.əl/ 
UK /ˈtrʌb.əl/ 

Oxford Essential Dictionary

noun

1 (plural troubles) difficulty, problems or worry:
We had a lot of trouble finding the book you wanted.

2 (no plural) extra work:
'Thanks for your help!' 'Oh, it was no trouble.'

3 (plural troubles) a situation in which people are fighting or arguing:
There was trouble after the football match last Saturday.

4 (no plural) pain or illness:
He's got heart trouble.

be in trouble to have problems, for example because you have done something wrong:
I'll be in trouble if I'm late home again.

get into trouble to get into a situation which is dangerous or in which you may be punished:
He got into trouble with the police.

go to a lot of trouble to do extra work:
They went to a lot of trouble to help me.

 

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

trouble

I. trouble1 S1 W2 /ˈtrʌbəl/ BrE AmE noun
[Word Family: adjective: troubled, troublesome, troubling; verb: trouble; noun: trouble]
1. PROBLEMS [uncountable] (also troubles [plural]) problems or difficulties
trouble with
We’re having a lot of trouble with the new computer system.
Recent stock market losses point to trouble ahead.
2. BAD POINT [singular] used when saying what is bad about a person or situation or what causes problems:
The trouble with you is that you don’t listen.
The trouble is there are too many people and not enough places.
But no one ever remembers – that’s the trouble.
You never think, that’s your trouble.
3. BAD SITUATION in/into/out of trouble
a) if someone or something is in trouble, they are in a situation with a lot of problems:
He admitted that their marriage was in trouble.
get/run into trouble
The company ran into trouble when it tried to expand too quickly.
in serious/deep trouble
The economy was in serious trouble.
the dangers of trying to borrow your way out of trouble
b) if someone is in trouble, they have done something which someone will punish them for or be angry about
in deep/big trouble
We’ll be in big trouble if Mr Elliott finds out.
in trouble with somebody
I think I’m in trouble with Dad.
I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to get into trouble.
keep/stay out of trouble
I hope Tim stays out of trouble this year.
4. FIGHTING [uncountable] fighting, violence, or violent behaviour:
If the kids start to cause trouble, ask them to move on.
A handful of people came looking for trouble.
If you start any trouble, you’ll regret it.
There was crowd trouble before the match.
5. WORRIES [uncountable] (also troubles [plural]) problems in your life which you are worried about:
He poured out all his troubles to me (=told me all about his problems).
6. EFFORT [uncountable] an amount of effort and time that is needed to do something
take the trouble to do something (=make a special effort to do something)
The teacher took the trouble to learn all our names on the first day.
They’ve obviously gone to a lot of trouble to arrange everything.
save somebody the trouble (of doing something)
If you’d asked me first, I could have saved you the trouble.
I find that making my own clothes is more trouble than it’s worth (=takes too much time and effort).
7. no trouble used to say politely that you are happy to do something for someone:
‘Are you sure you don’t mind?’ ‘It’s no trouble.’
The kids were no trouble (=used to say you were happy to look after them because they were well-behaved).
8. HEALTH [uncountable] a problem that you have with your health:
He has trouble with his breathing.
heart/stomach/skin etc trouble
He suffers from back trouble.
9. MACHINE/SYSTEM [uncountable] when something is wrong with a machine, vehicle, or system:
engine trouble
trouble with
He had to retire from the race because of trouble with the gearbox.
• • •
GRAMMAR
Trouble is usually an uncountable noun. Never say 'a trouble':
▪ Are you having trouble (NOT a trouble) with your car?
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
have trouble He is having trouble getting his message across to the voters.
have no trouble We had no trouble finding her house.
cause trouble I hope the delay hasn’t caused you any trouble.
there is trouble There was some trouble at her office, but she didn’t say what it was.
mean/spell trouble (=mean there will be trouble) They are now much more competitive, which can only spell trouble for their rivals.
be asking for trouble (=be silly or dangerous) It 's asking for trouble to wear high-heeled shoes on a long walk.
avoid trouble We avoid trouble by planning carefully.
■ adjectives
big/great trouble High interest rates spell big trouble for homeowners.
terrible trouble I’ve been having terrible trouble sleeping.
endless trouble (=a lot of trouble) They had endless trouble with the water supply.
serious trouble I was having serious trouble knowing where to begin.
teething troubles British English (=small problems that you have when you first start doing a new job or using a new system ) There were a lot of teething troubles in the first year.
■ phrases
what the trouble is A couple of nurses rushed into the room to see what the trouble was.
without any/much trouble (=easily) The work was carried out without any trouble.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

trouble

 

trouble [trouble troubles troubled troubling] noun, verb   [ˈtrʌbl]    [ˈtrʌbl] 

 

noun  

 

 

PROBLEM/WORRY
1. uncountable, countable a problem, worry, difficulty, etc. or a situation causing this
• We have trouble getting staff.
• He could make trouble for me if he wanted to.
~ (with sb/sth) The trouble with you is you don't really want to work.
• We've never had much trouble with vandals around here.
Her trouble is she's incapable of making a decision.
The trouble is (= what is difficult is) there aren't any trains at that time.
The only trouble is we won't be here then.
• No, I don't know his number— I have quite enough trouble remembering my own.
• financial troubles
• She was on the phone for an hour telling me her troubles.
• Our troubles aren't over yet.

see also  teething troubles  

 

 

ILLNESS/PAIN

2. uncountable illness or pain
• back trouble

• I've been having trouble with my knee.  

 

 

WITH MACHINE

3. uncountable something that is wrong with a machine, vehicle, etc
• mechanical trouble

• My car's been having engine trouble.  

 

 

DIFFICULT/VIOLENT SITUATION

4. uncountable a situation that is difficult or dangerous; a situation in which you can be criticized or punished
• The company ran into trouble early on, when a major order was cancelled.
• A yachtsman got into trouble off the coast and had to be rescued.
• If I don't get this finished in time, I'll be in trouble.
• He's in trouble with the police.

• My brother was always getting me into trouble with my parents.

5. uncountable an angry or violent situation
• The police were expecting trouble after the match.
• If you're not in by midnight, there'll be trouble (= I'll be very angry).

• He had to throw out a few drunks who were causing trouble in the bar.  

 

 

EXTRA EFFORT

6. uncountable ~ (to sb) extra effort or work
Syn:  bother
• I don't want to put you to a lot of trouble.
• I'll get it if you like, that will save you the trouble of going out.
• Making your own yogurt is more trouble than it's worth.
• She went to a lot of trouble to find the book for me.
• He thanked me for my trouble and left.
• Nothing is ever too much trouble for her (= she's always ready to help).
• I can call back later— it's no trouble (= I don't mind).

• I hope the children weren't too much trouble.  

 

 

IN NORTHERN IRELAND

7. the Troubles plural the time of political and social problems in Northern Ireland, especially after 1968, when there was violence between Catholics and Protestants about whether Northern Ireland should remain part of the UK
more at be asking for trouble at  ask  
Word Origin:
Middle English: from Old French truble (noun), trubler (verb), based on Latin turbidus, from turba ‘a crowd, a disturbance’.  
Synonyms:
illness
sickness • ill health • trouble
These are all words for the state of being physically or mentally ill.
illness • the state of being physically or mentally ill.
sickness • illness; bad health: I recommend you get insurance against sickness and unemployment.
illness or sickness?
Sickness is used especially in contexts concerning work and insurance. It is commonly found with words such as pay, leave, absence and insurance. Illness has a wider range of uses and is found in more general contexts.
ill health • (rather formal) the state of being physically ill or having lots of health problems: She resigned because of ill health.
Ill health often lasts a long period of time.
trouble • illness or pain: heart trouble.
When trouble is used with this meaning, it is necessary to say which part of the body is affected.
chronic illness/sickness/ill health
to suffer from illness/sickness/ill health/heart, etc. trouble 
Example Bank:
• Do you think it's worth the trouble of booking seats in advance?
• Extra journalists have been sent to the main trouble spots.
• Fans wandered the town after the match looking for trouble.
• Growing your own vegetables is more trouble than it's worth.
• He got into trouble for not doing his homework.
• He had a reputation for making trouble in the classroom.
• He has had back trouble since changing jobs.
• He is in trouble with the law again.
• He put his past troubles behind him and built up a successful new career.
• He was asking for trouble when he insulted their country.
• He was obviously upset, and muttered something about girlfriend trouble.
• Her troubles began last year when she lost her job.
• I can see trouble ahead.
• I don't want to make trouble for her.
• I don't want to put you to any trouble.
• I've had endless trouble with my car.
• I've had trouble sleeping recently.
• In times of trouble she always turns to her mother.
• Just don't start any trouble.
• Look, we don't want any trouble, so we'll leave.
• Most of the game we were in foul trouble.
• She got into serious financial trouble after running up large debts.
• She has a history of back trouble.
• She knew that a hygiene inspection could spell trouble for her restaurant.
• She poured out all her troubles to her mother.
• Thank you very much for all your trouble.
• The company is in desperate trouble financially.
• The company soon ran into financial trouble.
• The printer's causing trouble again.
• There was trouble brewing among the workforce.
• They are hoping to leave their recent troubles behind.
• They went to enormous trouble to make her stay a pleasant one.
• Trouble blew up when the gang was refused entry to a nightclub.
• Trouble often comes when you're least expecting it.
• We left before the trouble started.
• We took the trouble to plan our route in advance.
• We're in deep trouble now!
• When she saw the teacher coming she knew she was in big trouble.
• Why don't we bring a pizza to save you the trouble of cooking?
• trouble between the races
• A yachtsman got into trouble off the coast and had to be rescued.
• As the bars closed the town was full of youths looking for trouble.
• He had to throw out a few drunks who were causing trouble in the bar.
• He suffers from heart trouble.
• He went to a lot of trouble to find the book for me.
• Her trouble is she's incapable of making a decision.
• I can call back later— it's no trouble at all.
• I hope the children weren't too much trouble.
• I'll get it if you like— that will save you the trouble of going out.
• I've been having trouble with my knee.
• I've never been one to run away from trouble.
• If I don't get this finished in time, I'll be in trouble.
• My brother was always getting me into trouble with my parents.
• Nothing is ever too much trouble for her.
• She didn't even take the trouble to find out how to spell my name.
• She was on the phone for an hour telling me all her troubles.
• The children didn't give me any trouble at all.
• The company ran into trouble early on, when a major order was cancelled.
• The only trouble is we won't be here then.
• The police were expecting trouble after the game.
• The trouble is there aren't any trains at that time.
• The trouble with you is you don't really want to work.
• They take a lot of trouble to find the right person for the job.
• Troops were stationed nearby in case of crowd trouble.
• We've been having trouble getting staff.
• We've never had much trouble with vandals around here.

Idioms: get somebody into trouble  give trouble  look for trouble  take the trouble to do something  take trouble over something  take trouble to do something  trouble shared is a trouble halved 

 

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
 

trouble / ˈtrʌb.l̩ / noun (DIFFICULTIES)

B1 [ C or U ] problems or difficulties:

The form was terribly complicated and I had a lot of trouble with it.

Their problems seem to be over for the moment, but there could be more trouble ahead .

The trouble started/began when my father came to live with us.

[ + -ing verb ] Parents often have trouble finding restaurants that welcome young children.

You'll only be storing up trouble for the future if you don't go to the dentist now.

I should get it finished over the weekend without too much trouble.

She thought her troubles would be over once she'd got divorced.

My Christmas shopping is the least of my troubles at the moment - I haven't even got enough money to pay the rent.

Most of the current troubles stem from (= are caused by) our new computer system.

B2 [ U ] a characteristic of someone or something that is considered a disadvantage or problem:

The trouble with this carpet is that it gets dirty very easily.

It's a brilliant idea. The only trouble is that we don't know how much it will cost.

Ron 's trouble is that he's too impatient.

B1 [ U ] a situation in which you experience problems, usually because of something you have done wrong or badly:

He's never been in trouble with his teachers before.

She'll be in big trouble if she crashes Sam's car.

He got into financial trouble after his divorce.

I hope you won't get into trouble because of what I said to your dad.

The camp is a great way of getting kids off the street and keeping them out of trouble.

I hope I haven't landed you in trouble with your boss.

The marriage ran into trouble because of her husband's heavy drinking.

The company will be in serious/real trouble if we lose this contract.

He's stayed out of trouble since he was released from jail last year.

C2 [ U ] problems or difficulties caused by something failing to operate as it should:

The plane developed engine trouble shortly after take-off.

They have a good reputation for building reliable trouble -free cars.

Her knee trouble is expected to keep her out of the game for the rest of the season.

B2 [ U ] problems in the form of arguments, fighting, or violence:

Listen, I don't want any trouble in here, so please just finish your drink and leave.

You can only go to the match if you promise to leave at the first sign of trouble.

My little brother's always trying to stir up (= create) trouble between me and my boyfriend.

Word partners for trouble noun (DIFFICULTIES)

have trouble ( with sth) • get into / run into trouble • avoid trouble • forget your troubles • be beset by troubles • teething troubles • without any trouble

Word partners for trouble noun (INCONVENIENCE)

cause sb [a lot of/some/any] trouble • go to / take a lot of trouble • put sb to [a lot of/any] trouble • save trouble

 

trouble / ˈtrʌb.l̩ / noun [ U ] (INCONVENIENCE)

B2 slight problems or effort:

I didn't mean to cause you any trouble.

"I'd love some more tea, if it isn't too much trouble." "Oh, it's no trouble at all ."

I don't want to put you to any trouble (= create any work for you) .

[ + to infinitive ] If you took the trouble to listen to what I was saying, you'd know what I was talking about.

They went to a lot of trouble (= made a lot of effort) for their dinner party, but half the guests didn't bother to turn up.

It's annoying, but I don't think I'll go to the trouble of mak ing an official complaint.

Word partners for trouble noun (DIFFICULTIES)

have trouble ( with sth) • get into / run into trouble • avoid trouble • forget your troubles • be beset by troubles • teething troubles • without any trouble

Word partners for trouble noun (INCONVENIENCE)

cause sb [a lot of/some/any] trouble • go to / take a lot of trouble • put sb to [a lot of/any] trouble • save trouble

© Cambridge University Press 2013

Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

trouble

[trʌ̱b(ə)l]
 ♦♦
 troubles, troubling, troubled

 1) N-UNCOUNT: oft in N, also N in pl You can refer to problems or difficulties as trouble.
  I had trouble parking...
  You've caused us a lot of trouble...
  The plane developed engine trouble soon after taking off...
  The crew are in serious trouble in 50-knot winds and huge seas...
  The Sullivans continued to have financial troubles.
 2) N-SING: usu the N If you say that one aspect of a situation is the trouble, you mean that it is the aspect which is causing problems or making the situation unsatisfactory.
  The trouble is that these restrictions have remained while other things have changed...
  Your trouble is that you can't take rejection.
  Syn:
  problem
 3) N-PLURAL: usu poss N Your troubles are the things that you are worried about.
  She tells me her troubles. I tell her mine...
  She kept her troubles to herself.
  Syn:
  problems
 4) N-UNCOUNT: n N, N with n If you have kidney trouble or back trouble, for example, there is something wrong with your kidneys or your back.
  An unsuitable bed is the most likely cause of back trouble...
  Her husband had never before had any heart trouble...
  He began to have trouble with his right knee.
 5) N-UNCOUNT: also N in pl If there is trouble somewhere, especially in a public place, there is fighting or rioting there.
  Riot police are being deployed throughout the city to prevent any trouble...
  Fans who make trouble during the World Cup will be severely dealt with.
  ...the first victim of the troubles in Northern Ireland.
 6) N-UNCOUNT: with brd-neg, oft N to-inf (politeness) If you tell someone that it is no trouble to do something for them, you are saying politely that you can or will do it, because it is easy or convenient for you.
  It's no trouble at all; on the contrary, it will be a great pleasure to help you...
  Will it be any trouble to get over here that quickly?
  Syn:
  bother
 7) N-UNCOUNT: with brd-neg If you say that a person or animal is no trouble, you mean that they are very easy to look after.
  My little grandson is no trouble at all, but his 6-year-old elder sister is rude and selfish.
 8) VERB If something troubles you, it makes you feel rather worried.
  [V n] Is anything troubling you?...
  [V n] He was troubled by the lifestyle of his son.
  Derived words:
  troubling ADJ-GRADED But most troubling of all was the simple fact that nobody knew what was going on.
 9) VERB If a part of your body troubles you, it causes you physical pain or discomfort.
  [V n] The ulcer had been troubling her for several years.
 10) VERB: with brd-neg (disapproval) If you say that someone does not trouble to do something, you are critical of them because they do not do not behave in the way that they should do, and you think that this would require very little effort.
  [V to-inf] He yawns, not troubling to cover his mouth...
  [V pron-refl to-inf] He hadn't troubled himself to check his mirrors...
  [V pron-refl about/with n] He seemed to be a naturally solitary person, troubling himself about only a few friends.
  Syn:
  bother
 11) VERB (formulae) You use trouble in expressions such as I'm sorry to trouble you when you are apologizing to someone for disturbing them in order to ask them something.
  I'm sorry to trouble you, but I wondered if by any chance you know where he is...
  I hate to trouble you, but Aunt Lina's birthday is coming up and I would like to buy something nice for her.
  Syn:
  bother
 12) PHRASE: usu v-link PHR, PHR after v If someone is in trouble, they are in a situation in which a person in authority is angry with them or is likely to punish them because they have done something wrong.
  He was in trouble with his teachers...
  The person who loaned them to me got into terrible trouble for it.
  ...a charity that helps women in trouble with the law.
 13) PHRASE: V inflects, usu PHR to-inf, oft with brd-neg If you take the trouble to do something, you do something which requires a small amount of additional effort.
  It is worth taking the trouble to sieve the fruit by hand...
  He did not take the trouble to see the film before he attacked it.
 14) PHRASE: V inflects, v-link PHR If you say that someone or something is more trouble than they are worth, you mean that they cause you a lot of problems or take a lot of time and effort and you do not achieve or gain very much in return.
  Some grumbled that Johnson was more trouble than he was worth...
  Learning more about it always seemed more trouble than it was worth.

 

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

1trou·ble /ˈtrʌbəl/ noun, pl trou·bles
1 : problems or difficulties

[noncount]

• The new system is giving me trouble.
• He was having trouble with his homework.
• I had a little trouble finding the place.
• He had no trouble finding a new job.
• This decision could spell trouble [=cause problems] for all of us.
• So far, the trip has been trouble free. [=so far, there have been no problems on the trip]
• gangs looking to make/cause trouble

[count]

- usually plural
• She told me all her personal troubles.
• Your troubles are over now that he's out of your life.
• I have my own troubles to worry about.
• They've had some financial troubles since he lost his job.
2 [noncount]
a : a situation that is difficult or has a lot of problems
• When the new CEO arrived, the company was in trouble.
• She's in big/deep financial trouble. [=she has serious problems with her money]
• She got into trouble with her credit cards.
• Can anyone help get the company out of trouble? [=solve the company's problems]
b : a situation that occurs if you do something wrong or break a rule and which will make someone angry or cause you to be punished
• He's always getting in/into trouble at school.
• He promised to keep/stay out of trouble. [=behave well, not do anything bad]
- often + with
• She was in trouble with the police.
• He will be in trouble with his mom if he's late.
3 [noncount] : a physical pain or illness
• heart/stomach trouble
• She has been having trouble with her knee.
4 [noncount] : a situation in which a machine does not work correctly
• He's been having car/engine/computer trouble.
• She was having trouble with her computer.
5 [singular] : a bad feature, characteristic, quality, etc.
• His trouble is that he's lazy and unreliable.
- often + with
• The trouble with driving into the city is finding a place to park.
6 [noncount] : extra effort or work
• You didn't have to go to all that trouble for me. [=you didn't have to do all the extra work for me]
• Thank you for taking the trouble [=making the effort] to write.
• They didn't even take the trouble to call and let me know they'd be late.
• I decided that upgrading the software was more trouble than it's worth.
• It's not worth the trouble.
• If it's no trouble [=if it is not too difficult or inconvenient], could you bring us some more coffee?
• “I'm sorry to bother you.” “It's no trouble. I'm happy to help.”
ask for trouble
- see ask
look for trouble
- see 1look