Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun One that stirs up trouble or strife.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun One who causes trouble, especially one who does so deliberately.
  • noun A complainer.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun someone who deliberately stirs up trouble

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From trouble + make + -er

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Examples

  • The conductor/pianist/Olympic-class troublemaker is also promoting his new memoir, Music Quickens Time (at least that's the American title, anyway).

    Conducting oneself Matthew Guerrieri 2008

  • The conductor/pianist/Olympic-class troublemaker is also promoting his new memoir, Music Quickens Time (at least that's the American title, anyway).

    Archive 2008-12-01 Matthew Guerrieri 2008

  • He brought an impish energy to his role as harbor patrolman and became known as a troublemaker when he first came to the harbor in 1985.

    AroundTheCapitol.com 2010

  • First Impression: Thanos is described as a troublemaker who’s quick to anger.

    5-Star Baby Name Advisor Bruce Lansky 2008

  • First Impression: Thanos is described as a troublemaker who’s quick to anger.

    5-Star Baby Name Advisor Bruce Lansky 2008

  • Other mayors pressed him to raise complaints because he was already known as a troublemaker, they said.

    After Tsunami, a Mayor Plants Seeds of Renewal Patrick Barta 2011

  • Even though not all of those membersof the group have done anything wrong, everyone of classified as a troublemaker, criminal or the group as a whole gets a bad reputation (i.e., all of those NFL players are involved in some kind of bad activities and they have no respect for the law).

    Top Ten Reasons NFL Athletes Play The Game Of Crime 2009

  • Not to be irreverent, but was that really the first time you'd been called a troublemaker?

    Seema Kalia: My Favorite Mistake: Erica Jong On Suing Hollywood 2008

  • McInnis, known as a troublemaker throughout his career, took on a leadership role following his arrival from Portland.

    USATODAY.com 2006

  • He was very independent, so he was a combination of a leader and a troublemaker, which is very interesting, and I think his presidency reflected both of those.

    Kennedy and Nixon: The Rivalry That Shaped Postwar America 1996

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