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Glite Dictionary
to go through all that trouble

to go through all that trouble

3 6.0
To do a lot of extra work or face problems for a small thing
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : pasar por tantos problemas
  • Why should they go through all that trouble?

Examples

  • Now why would he go through all that trouble?

    Blog text (1)

  • But Kyoka went through all that trouble for us too!

    Angel Blade (2002)

  • If someone is going through all that trouble and they aren't a professional, maybe they should be.

    Blog text (26)

  • So you went through all that trouble to gain 387 points?

    Blog text (17)

  • Google Music would automatically upload any music I put in my music folder, and I didn't have to worry about plugging in my phone, copying everything over, and going through all that trouble.

    Blog text (22)

  • He asked me why I would go through all that trouble to help someone I didn't know.

  • She couldn't believe he would go through all that trouble just to surprise her on her birthday.

  • They decided to go through all that trouble to repair the old car because it held so many memories.

Synonyms

to trouble
vsto go through all that trouble
38 3.5

To make the effort to do something, often when inconvenient

involves greater effort or real hardship rather than mere inconvenience
to trouble oneself
vsto go through all that trouble
8 5.6

To make an extra effort to do something when it is not necessary

requires great effort or faces real difficulties rather than light effort

Antonyms

to take it easy
  • Informal
572 2.5

Relax and avoid doing too much or worrying

to skip
397 1.1

To deliberately not attend something such as a class or meeting

How Hard

to move heaven and earth
  • Informal
7 4.2
to go through all that trouble
3 6.0
to bother
∞ 2.4
to try
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

go through all that trouble infinitive
going through all that trouble present participle
goes through all that trouble third person singular
went through all that trouble past
gone through all that trouble past participle

Morphology

go + through + all + that + trouble

The meaning is directly derivable from the parts: 'go through' (to undergo/experience), 'trouble' (difficulties), with 'all that' serving as an intensifier. This verb + preposition + noun composition and the intensifying phrase are common cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words can reliably infer the overall meaning.

Etymology

Go through all that trouble gives a picture of someone who must go through many small problems or hard steps—the trouble—just to finish a task. So it means 'to make a great effort or face difficulties', often more than is really needed.