trouble in paradise

noun

An unexpected problem in a supposedly positive situation, especially in a marital or romantic relationship.

“My wife wasn't in the best of moods on our honeymoon last week. ― Trouble in paradise?”

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Meanings

nountrouble in paradise (usually uncountable, plural troubles in paradise)

plural troubles in paradise

  1. idiomaticuncountableusuallyAn unexpected problem in a supposedly positive situation, especially in a marital or romantic relationship.

    My wife wasn't in the best of moods on our honeymoon last week. ― Trouble in paradise?

    3 more examples

    Chaucer's people are not paralyzed by self-consciousness in the act of love. They possess none of modern man's neurasthenic haste to import trouble in paradise.

    1969 February 14, “New Plays: Pilgrims' Regress”, in Time, retrieved 10 Jul 2014

    Is there trouble in paradise? Maybe not, but it will be interesting to see whether the Bulls can make it through another season without serious internal problems.

    1996 December 10, Clifton Brown, “Challenge for the Bulls Is to Repair the Cracks”, in New York Times, retrieved 10 Jul 2014

    [H]e’ll keep on peeping through her window, anxious for some glimpse of trouble in paradise with the new boyfriend.

    2013 October 5, Tom Russo, “Reasons to get ‘Stuck in Love’”, in Boston Globe, retrieved 10 Jul 2014

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 同床異夢 /同床异梦, 貌合神離 /貌合神离
  • 同床異夢 /同床异梦 (tóngchuángyìmèng)unexpected problem in a supposedly positive situation
  • 貌合神離 /貌合神离 (màohéshénlí)unexpected problem in a supposedly positive situation
  • 金玉其外，敗絮其中 /金玉其外unexpected problem in a supposedly positive situation
  • 败絮其中 (jīnyù qíwài, bàixù qízhōng)unexpected problem in a supposedly positive situation
Finnish käärme paratiisissa
  • käärme paratiisissaunexpected problem in a supposedly positive situation
French y avoir de l'eau dans le gaz
  • y avoir de l'eau dans le gazunexpected problem in a supposedly positive situation
Hebrew צרות בגן עדן
  • צרות בגן עדןunexpected problem in a supposedly positive situation
Norwegian trøbbel i paradis
  • trøbbel i paradisunexpected problem in a supposedly positive situation
Polish kłopoty w raju
  • kłopoty w rajuunexpected problem in a supposedly positive situation
Spanish problema en el paraíso
  • problema en el paraísounexpected problem in a supposedly positive situation
Cite this entry
APA

trouble in paradise. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/trouble%20in%20paradise

MLA

“trouble in paradise.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/trouble%20in%20paradise. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “trouble in paradise,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/trouble%20in%20paradise.

Source: trouble in paradise on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.