dlesome

Dlesome is an English adjective meaning troublesome or vexatious; it is chiefly found in Scots and northern English dialects and is rarely used in modern standard English.

The precise etymology is unclear, and there is no consensus among dictionaries. The word appears in older dialect writings and seems to express the sense of causing difficulty or annoyance. Some lexicographers regard it as a dialectal variant formed within English rather than borrowed.

In historical texts, dlesome can describe tasks, situations, or people that prove troublesome. It is typically used when the speaker wishes to emphasize annoyance or complication, as in phrases such as 'a dlesome business'.

Today, dlesome is regarded as archaic or regional. It survives mainly in dialect writing, regional speech, and historical fiction, where it adds local color. It is not common in contemporary formal writing.