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Fig.: That which pricks or annoys as a thorn; anything troublesome; trouble; care. There was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me. 2 Cor. xii. 7. The guilt of empire, all its thorns and cares, Be only mine. Southern.

Like a thorn or thorns; hence, figuratively, troublesome; vexatious; harassing; perplexing. "The thorny point of bare distress." Shak. The steep and thorny way to heaven. Shak. Thorny rest-harrow (Bot.), rest-harrow. -- Thorny trefoil, a prickly plant of the genus Fagonia (F. Cretica, etc.).

Solicitude; anxious care; concern. Hawis was put in trouble, and died with thought and anguish before his business came to an end. Bacon. Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink. Matt. vi. 25.

Trouble; distress; teen. [Obs.] "Cruel winter's tine." Spenser.

in the direction of; in behalf of. This was the first alarm England received towards any trouble. Clarendom.

fleeting; evanescent. Comfort and succor all those who, in this transitory life, are in trouble. Bk. of Com. Prayer. It was not the transitory light of a comet, which shines and glows for a wile, and then . . . vanishes into nothing. South. Transitory action (Law), an action which may be brought in any county, as acti…

To harass; to tire. [Obs.] As if all these troubles had not been sufficient to travail the realm, a great division fell among the nobility. Hayward.

That which occasions distress, trouble, or vexation; severe affliction. When tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. Matt. xiii. 21. In the world ye shall have tribulation. John. xvi. 33.

Causing trouble; troublesome. [Obs.] troublable ire." Chaucer.

Full of trouble; causing trouble. "In doubtful time of troublous need." Byron. A tall ship tossed in troublous seas. Spenser.

To subject to severe trial; to put to the test; to cause suffering or trouble to. Thus far to try thee, Adam, I was pleased. Milton. Thomas Paine (1776)

Harassing labor; trouble; molestation by tumult; disturbance; worrying confusion. And there I'll rest, as after much turmoil, A blessed soul doth in Elysium. Shak.

A pinching condition; perplexity; trouble; distress. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] This put the old fellow in a rare tweague. Arbuthnot.

Trouble; distress; tweag. [Obs.]

Unpleasant; disagreeable; likely to cause trouble or loss; as, an ugly rumor; an ugly customer. [Colloq.]

oidable; incapable of being shunned or prevented; inevitable; necessary; as, unavoidable troubles.

Ungainly; clumsy; awkward; also, troublesome; inconvenient. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] Beau. & Pl.

Importunate; troublesome with requests. [Obs.] Golden Boke.

Inconvenient; troublesome; vexatious; unlucky; unfortunate; as, an untoward wind or accident. -- Un*to"ward*ly, adv. -- Un*to"ward*ness, n.

ed by little provocations; to irritate; to plague; to torment; to harass; to afflict; to trouble; to tease. "I will not vex your souls." Shak. Then thousand torments vex my heart. Prior.