problem child

The term "problem child" often refers to a young person who exhibits challenging behavior, but it can also be used more broadly to describe any consistently troublesome entity.

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Definition

B2Family and Education

(euphemistic, informal)A young person who is particularly difficult to raise or educate due to disruptive or antisocial behavior.

Example

  • Teachers often struggle with a problem child who disrupts the classroom environment.
  • Parenting a problem child can be emotionally and physically exhausting.

B2General Use

(idiomatic, informal)Someone or something that is persistently difficult or causes frequent trouble.

Example

  • The new software update has become a problem child for the IT department.
  • That old car is a problem child; it breaks down almost every week.

Similar

Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "problem child":

man childonly childbad boywoman child