'troublemaking' originates from the combination of 'trouble' and 'making', where 'trouble' meant 'difficulty or problem' and 'making' referred to 'the act of creating'.

'troublemaking' evolved from the Middle English word 'trouble' and the Old English word 'macian', eventually forming the modern English word 'troublemaking'.

Initially, it meant 'creating difficulties', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.