Dictionary.com

fretful

[ fret-fuhl ]
/ ˈfrɛt fəl /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR fretful ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

disposed or quick to fret; irritable or peevish.

QUIZZES

FOR LEXICAL ALIMENTATION, TAKE THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!

Nourish your vocabulary with a refresher on the words from the week of September 14–20, 2020!
Question 1 of 7
What does “blatherskite” mean?
a person given to voluble, empty talk.
an ancient Greek or Roman farce that depended for effect largely upon ludicrous actions and gestures.
a check whose amount has been raised by forgery before cashing.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT
Also fret·some [fret-suhm]. /ˈfrɛt səm/.

Origin of fretful

First recorded in 1585–95; fret1 + -ful

OTHER WORDS FROM fretful

fret·ful·ly, adverbfret·ful·ness, nounun·fret·ful, adjectiveun·fret·ful·ly, adverb

Words nearby fretful

Fresnel mirrors, Fresno, fress, fret, fretboard, fretful, fret saw, fretted, fretting, fretty, fretwork
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to fretful

captious, carping, complaining, contrary, crabby, cranky, critical, cross, crotchety, edgy, faultfinding, fractious, huffy, mean, ornery, out of sorts, peevish, perverse, petulant, querulous

Example sentences from the Web for fretful

British Dictionary definitions for fretful

fretful
/ (ˈfrɛtfʊl) /

adjective

peevish, irritable, or upset

Derived forms of fretful

fretfully, adverbfretfulness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012