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Glite Dictionary
to ask for trouble

to ask for trouble

14 4.8
Act in a way likely to cause problems
  • idiom
  • Informal
: buscarse problemas
  • You're asking for trouble if you keep ignoring the warning signs.

And if we if we try to move forward knowing we're unwilling to fulfill certain needs and desires, we are asking for trouble.

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Examples

  • There's no question that depending on any single source of traffic is asking for trouble.

    Blog text (26)

  • Having a gun is just asking for trouble.

    Doc Holliday's Revenge (2014)

  • - Those girls are just asking for trouble.

    North Country (2005)

  • You know, you really are asking for trouble.

    The Night of the Generals (1967)

  • It's in your nature to ask for trouble.

    Contraband (1940)

  • I think you are just asking for trouble if you are alone with a friend of the opposite sex.

    Blog text (13)

  • - You're asking for trouble, young man.

    The Horror of Frankenstein (1970)

  • You are asking for trouble by sticking your nose in a volatile situation.

    Blog text (15)

  • Say, you've been asking for trouble, and now you're gonna get it.

    The Broadway Melody (1929)

  • Anyone showing up to meetups in a fedora and pinstripes now is just asking for trouble.

    Blog text (2)

Synonyms

to asking for it
vsto ask for trouble
  • Informal
34 7.8

To act in a way that makes trouble or harm likely

is more about persisting despite likely problems rather than just provoking criticism
to ask for it
vsto ask for trouble
  • Informal
28 5.4

Behave in a way that causes trouble for yourself

is about persisting in risky behaviour despite expected problems

Antonyms

to play it safe
46 3.4

Choose a careful option to avoid risks

How Risky

to tempt fate
  • Informal
13 7.3
to play with fire
  • Informal
26 5.8
to ask for trouble
  • Informal
14 4.8
to push it
  • Informal
116 5.3
pushing boundaries
  • Informal
19 6.0

Surface Forms

ask for trouble infinitive
asked for trouble past
asked for trouble past participle
asking for trouble present participle
asks for trouble third person singular

Morphology

ask + for + trouble

The phrase combines the transparent meanings of 'ask for' (request) and 'trouble' (problems), so a learner can plausibly infer the idea of 'requesting' or 'inviting' problems — i.e. behaving so as to cause difficulty. However, the verb 'ask' is used metaphorically here as 'invite' rather than literally requesting, which is somewhat idiomatic and may not be fully predictable to a B1 learner without prior exposure.

Etymology

The phrase ask for trouble gives the image of someone knocking on a door marked 'trouble'—by using ask with trouble they seem to invite it to come. So it means 'to behave in a way that will cause problems'.