The boy's no good vs Troublesome

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

The boy's no good

Informal Top 5,000 (fairly common)

Troublesome

	The boy's no good	Troublesome
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 //ðə bɔɪz nəʊ ɡʊd// 🇺🇸 //ðə bɔɪz noʊ ɡʊd//
Meaning	The boy is bad or not useful.
Example	Everyone knows the boy's no good at following rules.	-
Register	Informal	-
How common	Top 5,000 (fairly common)	-
Collocations	no good at something, no good for someone, no good to anyone	-
Common mistakes	Misunderstanding as purely descriptive rather than evaluative., Using in overly formal contexts., Incorrectly assuming the phrase means the boy is physically unwell.	-
Usage notes	This phrase is often used casually to express disapproval. It's suitable in informal contexts among friends, but may be seen as harsh or rude when discussing children with parents.	-

See it in real clips

The boy's no good

The boy's no good

Avengers › Avengers Infinity War

You'll find removing a dead man's spell troublesome.

Troublesome

Frequently asked questions: The boy's no good vs Troublesome

What's the difference between The boy's no good and Troublesome?

The boy's no good: The boy is bad or not useful. Troublesome:

Can I use The boy's no good and Troublesome interchangeably?

Not always. The boy's no good and Troublesome are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.