trouble
UK: ˈtrʌbəl | US: ˈtrʌbəl
n. a state of difficulty, distress, or inconvenience
vt. to cause distress, inconvenience, or worry to someone
vi. (archaic) to take pains or make an effort
The word "trouble" originates from Old French troubler (to disturb), derived from Vulgar Latin turbulare, a variant of Latin turbare (to agitate, confuse). The Latin root turb- means "disturb" or "confuse," linked to turba (crowd, tumult). The suffix -le is a frequentative or diminutive ending in English, often indicating repeated action or small-scale effects. Over time, "trouble" evolved from physical agitation (e.g., stirring liquid) to abstract distress or difficulty.
She didn’t want to trouble him with her problems.
The engine trouble delayed our flight by three hours.
He went to great trouble to make the event memorable.
"Don’t trouble trouble until trouble troubles you." (proverb)
The protesters caused trouble outside the government building.