fretful
[fret-fuh l]
- disposed or quick to fret; irritable or peevish.
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Also fret·some [fret-suh m] /ˈfrɛt səm/.
Origin of fretful
Synonyms
See more synonyms for fretful on Thesaurus.competulant, querulous, impatient, testy.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for fretful
Contemporary Examples
Calls made by Ishihara for a “new military” are alarming to many Japanese, and the Chinese blogosphere has been fretful about it.
Like George Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life, the fretful marionettes pondered what life would be like without Sarkozy.
This strong and capable woman is fretful about what to wear for a dinner freighted with emotion.
Historical Examples
Not of age—merely of time; for here was no senility, no quavering or fretful lines.
The SpendersHarry Leon Wilson
An' Josh he got kind o' fretful to her, an' she to him, an' 'Mandy was all honey an' cream.
Meadow GrassAlice Brown
But she hardly ever looked in his direction, and when she spoke to him it was in a cold or fretful voice.
The ChristianHall Caine
"Go on, please," said Kate in a fretful whisper, and she tugged at Pete's sleeve.
The ManxmanHall Caine
The women moistened its lips with barley-water, and hushed its fretful whimper.
The ManxmanHall Caine
fretful
- peevish, irritable, or upset
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for fretful
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper