as in irritable
tending towards or characterized by agitation or irritability
They finally lulled the fretful baby to sleep. I kept having fretful thoughts about what would happen if we couldn't pay our bills.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fretful
Which is neurotically fretful for a chef who prides himself on buying the very best ingredients in the market.
—
John Mariani, Forbes, 3 Sep. 2024
In 2020, Joe did sterling work managing the inheritance of the Trump administration, but for weeks there’s been a fretful question mark over his ability to win reelection.
—Raven Smith, Vogue, 22 July 2024
Nothing gave voice to the fretful backlash more than Trump.
—James Morone, Foreign Affairs, 13 Feb. 2018
Joe Biden and his presidential campaign continued to try to assuage fretful donors following the president’s dismal performance at the debate on Thursday.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 29 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for fretful 
John Mariani, Forbes, 3 Sep. 2024
In 2020, Joe did sterling work managing the inheritance of the Trump administration, but for weeks there’s been a fretful question mark over his ability to win reelection.
—Raven Smith, Vogue, 22 July 2024
Nothing gave voice to the fretful backlash more than Trump.
—James Morone, Foreign Affairs, 13 Feb. 2018
Joe Biden and his presidential campaign continued to try to assuage fretful donors following the president’s dismal performance at the debate on Thursday.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 29 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for fretful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fretful
Adjective
-
Every child is different, but these nine common signs could mean your child is craving more of your time and focus: Yelling Children who need more attention often become loud and irritable.Wendy Wisner, Parents, 9 Dec. 2024
-
This includes going from feeling very happy, irritable, with a marked increase in activity level (mania), to feeling sad, indifferent, or hopeless with very low activity levels (depression).New Atlas, New Atlas, 30 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
Glumly marching to the stage, Wallen appears to tune out the anxious producer’s notes about looking at the camera and remembering to smile.Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 31 Dec. 2024
-
In contrast, those with anxious attachment styles may become overly focused on caregiving as a way to gain approval or security in the relationship.Mark Travers, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Country singer Elle King is opening up about her troubled relationship with father, Rob Schneider.Audrey Gibbs, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024
-
Dennis Hernandez, the troubled brother of late New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez, pleaded guilty on Wednesday in federal court to making threats against the University of Connecticut and three out-of-state individuals.Staff And Wire Reports, Hartford Courant, 19 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Her agitated forms do for computers what 19th-century spirit photography did for the camera, at once exploiting a new technology and highlighting its artifice, conjuring the ghost in the machine.Glenn Adamson, ARTnews.com, 16 Dec. 2024
-
But Romy is uncomfortable in her own skin, agitated and anxious.Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 24 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Many refugees in Europe are worried about their status after the fall of the al-Assad government.New York Times, New York Times, 1 Jan. 2025
-
By 1972, then President-Nixon’s people were worried about the prospect of segregationist former Alabama governor George Wallace drawing votes from Nixon as the potential nominee of the AIP, the right-wing American Independent Party.Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
The man who appears in her cozy home is reserved and nervous (he’s played by H. Jon Benjamin, offering the rare and welcome dramatic turn for the comedian and voice actor).Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 1 Jan. 2025
-
There was a nervous wait before David broke the news that Ten Hag was being kept on and then Laurie and Adam launched their big read with some remarkable details of the talks the club had held with other managers before deciding to stick with Ten Hag.The Athletic UK Staff, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Well, Paramount Pictures was apprehensive about three first-time directors working together on a movie.Abraham Josephine Riesman, Vulture, 26 Nov. 2024
-
Those who spoke to Reuters sounded apprehensive but determined to defend their country.Fox News, Fox News, 15 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
The songs are muscular and syncretic as ever, but the normally peevish rapper doesn’t maintain his trolling energy for the full record, settling into a questioning and pensive pace.Stephen Kearse, TIME, 8 Dec. 2024
-
For all that, his Arthur remains a lowly outsider, with a downcast gaze, a peevish temper, and a deep well of melancholy that never feels one-note.Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near fretful
Cite this Entry
“Fretful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fretful. Accessed 9 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share