a. Now only literary or arch. Forms: see TROUBLE sb.; also 5 -ose, -ows, (-es, -ys, 5–6 -is), 6 -us. [a. OF. troubleus, -eux, torbleus (12th c. in Godef.), f. trouble TROUBLE: see -OUS.]
† 1. Of water or other liquid: Troubled, turbid, thick, muddy. Obs.
1495. Trevisa’s Barth. De P. R., XVIII. xxxix. (W. de W.), cc vj/2. The horse … hath lykynge … to drynke trowblous [MS. troubly] and thycke water.
1527. Andrew, Brunswyke’s Distyll. Waters, B ij. Other lyquor … which ye wyl puryfye from all trowblous and vnclere substaunces.
1544. Phaër, Pestilence (1553), L viij. Thick wyne and troubleous.
2. Characterized by trouble, agitation, or disturbance; disordered, disturbed, unsettled, confused.
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., III. vii. (Rolls), 318. Like troubelose tyme was in Ierusalem.
1555. Bale, in Strype, Eccl. Mem. (1721), III. App. xxxix. 107. The state of our Church … is troublous at this present.
1675. Traherne, Chr. Ethics, 363. That troublous times are the seasons of honour, and that a warlike-field is the seed-plot of great and heroical actions.
1840. Carlyle, Heroes, iv. (1858), 274. There are long troublous periods, before matters come to a settlement.
1878. Browning, La Saisiaz, 599. The millions … live their calm or troublous day.
b. Of persons or their attributes: Causing disturbance; turbulent, disorderly; restless, unquiet.
1450–1530. [implied in TROUBLOUSNESS].
c. 1485. Digby Myst. (1882), III. 1611. Thow froward Kyng, trobelows and wood.
1550. Latimer, Last Serm. bef. Edw. VI. (1562), 115. They … accused hym … that he was a sedicious fellow, and a troublous preacher.
1855. Motley, Dutch Rep., I. II. vi. 501. Troublous and adventurous spirits, men of broken fortunes … and boundless desires.
c. Of the sea, wind, etc.: Tempestuous, stormy, violent.
1482. Cely Papers (Camden), 123. Here was noon passage … the wynd was so contrary and the see soo trublys.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Hen. VIII., 48. The wynde was troblous and the wether foule.
1610. Holland, Camden’s Brit. (1637), 305. The sea is … rough, and troublous.
1742. Collins, Ode Evening, 46. Winter yelling thro’ the troublous air.
1855. Singleton, Virgil, I. 364. He hunts the storms, and swims through troublous clouds.
3. Causing trouble or grief; painful, grievous; vexatious, troublesome.
1463. Ashby, Prisoner’s Refl., 250. With hys trowbelous hurt.
1465. Marg. Paston, in P. Lett., II. 211. I … trost … that ye shall overcome your enemys and your trobelows maters.
1535. Coverdale, Ezek. xiv. 21. I sende my foure troublous plages vpon Ierusalem: the swearde, honger, perlous beestes and pestilence.
1651. Biggs, New Disp., ¶ 273. A difficulty of breathing, troublous to life.
1747. Upton, New Canto Spenser’s F. Q., xxii. Bowers, that exclude the troublous Light.
1880. McCarthy, Own Times, IV. li. 79. Mr. Walpole took on himself the management of the Home Office, little knowing what a troublous business he had brought upon his shoulders.
† b. Expressing or indicating trouble or grief; sad, sorrowful. Obs. rare.
1535. Coverdale, 2 Kings viii. 11. The man of God loked earnestly, & made a troublous countenaunce, & wepte.
1590. Marlowe, 2nd Pt. Tamburl., IV. i. As when an herd of lusty Cimbrian bulls … Fill all the air with troublous bellowing.
Hence Troublously adv.; Troublousness.
1538. Elyot, Fluctuation, *troublously, doubtfully.
1548. Udall, Erasm. Par. Luke xii. 106. To bee troubleously vexed with the care of suche thynges is a poynte … of mystrustfulnesse towardes god.
1573–80. Baret, Alv., S 635. The sea riseth vp troublouslie with great sourges, vnda exæstuat vorticibus, Virg.
1897. F. Thompson, New Poems, 6. Their orbs are troublously Over-gloomed.
1450–1530. Myrr. Our Ladye, 45. When goddes seruantes ar besy … in hys seruyce: they with theyre vanyte & *troubelousnes pulle downe theyre myndes.
1577. St. Aug. Manual (Longman), 37. Let the troubleousnesse of the flesh cease.
1846. H. W. Torrens, Rem. Milit. Hist., 179. His worst troublousness had something quiescent in it.
