fractious

adjective

frac·​tious ˈfrak-shəs 

1

: tending to be troublesome : unruly

a fractious crowd

2

: quarrelsome, irritable

a fractious political campaign

fractiously adverb

fractiousness noun

Did you know?

The Latin verb frangere means "to break or shatter" and is related to a few common words, which is evident in their meanings. Dishes that are fragile break easily. A person whose health is easily broken might be described as frail. A fraction is one of the many pieces into which a whole can be broken. But fraction also once meant "disharmony" or "discord"—that is, a "rupture in relations." From this noun sense came the adjective fractious.

Examples of fractious in a Sentence

The fractious crowd grew violent.

Recent Examples on the Web

The legislative impasse before the Fourth of July weekend dealt another blow to Speaker Mike Johnson, who has struggled to rein in an increasingly fractious and razor-thin majority in the chamber. — Chad De Guzman, Time, 1 July 2026

All of which is to say that unless the whole thing is just an extended goof designed to boost engagement, the vibes are pretty fractious chez Fox. — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 24 June 2026

Britain has little money to spend, while the country’s political climate is becoming increasingly fractious. — Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 20 June 2026

Japan in the late ’60s was a fractious place with riots. — Stuart Miller, Oc Register, 17 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

fract(ion) (in sense "rupture, discord, breach of the peace") + -ious (after captious, factious)

First Known Use

1714, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for fractious

• factious

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