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.
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Recent Examples of fretful
At the very least, Washington sought to assure the fretful Parsons that all was not yet lost.
—
Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Feb. 2025
Too many young people are anxious, fretful and socially isolated.
—Sarah Lent, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024
At the very least, Washington sought to assure the fretful Parsons that all was not yet lost.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Feb. 2025
Now, for many in the business world, that question feels almost passé, part of an earlier, more fretful era of narratives.
—Talmon Joseph Smith, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fretful
Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Feb. 2025
Too many young people are anxious, fretful and socially isolated.
—Sarah Lent, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024
At the very least, Washington sought to assure the fretful Parsons that all was not yet lost.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Feb. 2025
Now, for many in the business world, that question feels almost passé, part of an earlier, more fretful era of narratives.
—Talmon Joseph Smith, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fretful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fretful
Adjective
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SSRIs are linked to a condition called neonatal adaption syndrome, in which infants are born jittery, irritable and with abnormal muscle tone.—
Andrew Novick,
The Conversation,
31 July 2025
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Frequently, kids who suppress emotions at school come home irritable in a low-key fashion at home.—
Sherri Gordon,
Parents,
29 July 2025
Adjective
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The vices of deficiency, such as being anxious, agitated, impatient, inattentive, and rash, are common everyday experiences.—
Mary Crossan,
Forbes.com,
16 Aug. 2025
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Orange County students are returning to class this month as districts navigate an anxious back-to-school season shaped by immigration raids over the summer and the possibility that attendance drops could cut into school funding.—
Hanna Kang,
Oc Register,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The musical originally toured the United States for six months in 1976, a legendarily troubled production, retooled constantly, that has long since entered stage lore.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
8 Aug. 2025
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Randall-Pizarro’s lawyer, Margaret Olsen of the Legal Aid Society, wanted the judge to use that earlier test to get the 18-year-old committed in the hopes of sparing her a stay in the troubled city jail complex.—
Evan Simko-Bednarski,
New York Daily News,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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For example, strengthening humanity through compassion and empathy helps people show more care towards others rather than being agitated or impatient.—
Mary Crossan,
Forbes.com,
16 Aug. 2025
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Dylan split out of the blue metal door, walking stiff, agitated, spat out on the heat of the late day.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel, however, didn’t necessarily appear worried when asked what joint practices taught him about his cornerbacks.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
17 Aug. 2025
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Many were worried about stripping precipitation out of a cloud and robbing people downstream of rain.—
Hayleigh Evans,
AZCentral.com,
17 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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But as Trump appears to ignore court decisions and high-level administration officials are suggesting suspending the writ of habeas corpus, Bolick is nervous the United States is heading toward authoritarianism.—
Amanda Luberto,
AZCentral.com,
13 Aug. 2025
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Students, meanwhile, often get nervous about asking for clarification or diving deeper into a topic in front of their peers.—
Shelbie Witte,
The Conversation,
12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Wickenden says Victor Mature was apprehensive at first.—
Meredith Wilshere,
People.com,
3 Aug. 2025
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Shaw said her own son, Steve, has always been apprehensive about flying.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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While grunge seemed peevish, grim, defeatist, and dour—and extended the kind of us-vs.-them culture most famously centered by the indie rock of the ’80s and ’90s, Oasis was celebratory, communal, and democratic while exploring themes of alienation, escape, and fantasies of triumph.—
Corey Seymour,
Vogue,
28 July 2025
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Thousands of people — displaced by disaster, their past lives gone up in smoke — are hostage to the whims of a peevish president who always puts his feelings first and cares nothing for the greater good.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Los Angeles Times,
22 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fretful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fretful. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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