fretful
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of fretful
Explanation
Someone who's fretful can't relax. You might be fretful — upset and fidgety — if you're waiting to hear whether or not you've been accepted into a competitive summer music program. You may be fretful because you're worried about a friend, you're waiting for news, you're incredibly irritated with your little brother, or simply because you're an anxious and restless person. The word at the heart of fretful is fret, a verb meaning "worry" which is rooted in the Old English fretan, "to eat or devour." From this, fret grew to mean "being eaten away by worry."
Vocabulary lists containing fretful
"The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
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"Sorry, Wrong Number" by Lucille Fletcher
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Talk Like Shakespeare Day, List 6
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The outrageous antics revolving around the experiences of fretful teen prodigy Malcolm were always anchored by his family’s tight bond.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026
With their heavy eyebrows and square jaws, they look like a fretful phalanx of Martin Scorseses reluctantly conceding that the movie is pretty fun.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2025
The opening track, “Gemini,” is a vivid but fretful tale of modern malaise and a doppelgänger who gives Heynderickx refreshing perspective.
From New York Times • Nov. 15, 2024
The court heard the incidents left him "fretful" and "fearful" about his safety.
From BBC • Oct. 18, 2023
A chorus of nervous, fretful snickers ran through the high-ceilinged room when it was suggested they “give Bobby a chance.”
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
