Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- adj. Inclined to be vexed or troubled; peevish.
- adj. Marked by worry and distress; troublesome: "Of all the fretful stages of human development, adolescence is the most infamous” ( David Gelman).
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- Gnawing; wearing; abrading; corroding.
- In a state of commotion; moved or agitated, as water; seething.
- Disposed to fret; ill-tempered; ill-humored; peevish: as, a fretful temper.
- Characterized by, indicating, or causing fret, worry, or ill temper.
- Synonyms Peevish, Pettish, etc. (see petulant); irritable, complaining, querulous.
Wiktionary
GNU Webster's 1913
- adj. Disposed to fret; ill-humored; peevish; angry; in a state of vexation.
WordNet 3.0
- adj. nervous and unable to relax
- adj. habitually complaining
Etymologies
- From fret + -ful. (Wiktionary)
Examples
“True, Custer's connection to impotence may have been largely metaphorical, but to a certain fretful portion of the populace it struck home.”
“We will not say that our dear little Mary rose in this condition next morning, -- for, although she had the headache, she had one of those natures in which, somehow or other, the combative element seems to be left out, so that no one ever knew her to speak a fretful word.”
“Who's there!" called a fretful voice from inside.”
“This shewed a kind of fretful impatience; nor was it to be wondered at, considering our disagreeable ride.”
“But then, this might have been an ideal passion, as has happened to many of us, and we have never been less enamoured than when in the immediate presence of its object: but in this instance it was very different, creating a kind of fretful happiness quite intolerable.”
“This flicwcd a kind of fretful impatience; nor was it to be wondered at, confidcring our difagree - able ride.”
Internet Archive: The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides, with Samuel Johnson, LL. D ...
“I was only -- a kind of fretful porcupine -- standing up for my side. ”
“But “being in a busy state” also suggested being worried or fretful.”
“It made Carter sound like an old, fretful liberal, and we thought Reagan might use it again.”
“The fretful, frightened mother absorbs the hit, almost shattered by the news and how it plays out in her family, in her body.”
The Washington Post: Susan Conley's 'Good Fortune': Riveting memoir about being American in China
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘fretful’.
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1100
abound, technology, branch of knowled..., prognosticate, automaton, matron, an older married ..., realm, special field of ..., kingdom, annals, historical records and 981 more...
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GRE 2014
abase, abate, abdicate, aberrant, abeyance, abhor, abjure, abortive, abound, abrasive, abreast, abridge and 1577 more...
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The Secret Garden
sickly, fretful, toddle, cross, stammer, manor, slink, grind, disdain, imploringly, wring, wailing and 30 more...
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Fearlobes
EEK! Emotion words and words associated with fear. Let's avoid -phobia words.
terrified, threatened, paralyzed, afraid, tormented, frightened, scared, blench, worried, cowardly, fretful, menaced and 57 more...
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GRE 1100
drudgery, implore, hapless, nuance, wrest, incipient, inadvertent, tremulous, bristle, euphemism, disdain, pugnacious and 346 more...
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big book gre
abase, abbess, abbey, abbot, abdicate, abdomen, abdominal, abduction, abed, aberration, abet, abeyance and 6691 more...
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Vocab_TC60Q_txtbook
most vocab in the textbook Page till end chapter 2.
moribund, unflagging, defunct, sated, inveigling, opining, needling, fulminating, lauding, vassals, serfs, minions and 86 more...
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1100 words you need to know
GRE words
voracious, indiscriminate, eminent, steeped, replete, abound, technology, prognosticate, automaton, matron, paradox, realm and 288 more...
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GRE Words
abjure, unswear, state, rescission, indemnification, ab, reny, abnegate, vitiated, vitiate, adumbrated, abash and 378 more...
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Miss Sunshine
she's such a joy.
bereaved, bitter, cheerless, dejected, depressed, despairing, despondent, disconsolate, dismal, distressed, doleful, downcast and 405 more...
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And another
retrocausality, brusque, gainsay, cheerio, jaundiced, chamois, caw, craw, fudge, bubbler, shebang, bolo and 244 more...
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feeling words
twitterpated, loquacious, ambiguous, pensive, sluggish, anxious, adventurous, curious, abandoned, absent-minded, abrasive, abused and 653 more...
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List 1
the list of vocabularies from 1100 words you need to know Barron's.
conceded, eminent, prognosticate, indiscriminate, voracious, replete, abound, badger, drudgery, interminable, perceive, tinge and 248 more...
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Magooosh
impugn, repudiate, sardonic, barnstorm, bemoan, unseemly, cornerstone, noisome, malodorous, retroactively, spuriously, spasmodically and 217 more...
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From Book - SAT & College Dictionary ...
ebb, exotic, immure, abeyance, panegyric, debonair, protege, dissipate, frantic, penitent, abject, edify and 871 more...
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words
words
spartan, cram, quill, furor, rampart, enervate, placate, agitate, galvanize, spur, pricker, infuriate and 273 more...
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