FRETFUL Synonyms: 210 Similar and Opposite Words

fretful

adjective

Definition of fretful

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.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example 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 The quintessential late-’80s teen, Ryder here plays a fretful mom. — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 27 Nov. 2025 But that doesn’t mean viewers won’t be increasingly exasperated by the ways the screenplay forces Knightley’s character into a clumsy, fretful investigation. — The New York Times, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025 Investors are fretful heading into the August payrolls report. — Sarah Min, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2025 Suddenly the Toronto crowd’s sound turned from festive to fretful. — Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 6 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for fretful

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fretful

Adjective

Perelman said people who have weakened immune systems and those with irritable bowel disease may want to talk to their doctors before incorporating the foods into their diet.

— Devi Shastri, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026
The symptoms are so delayed that people often blame them on food poisoning, irritable-bowel syndrome, gluten intolerance.

— Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 29 June 2026

Definition of irritable

Adjective

Meditation, deep breathing, physical exercise or something as simple as doing laundry can interrupt the cycle of anxious searching.

— Rachel Hale, USA Today, 19 July 2026
Students are less anxious about money, less overwhelmed; their physical and mental health has improved.

— Jay A. Perman, Baltimore Sun, 18 July 2026

Definition of anxious

Adjective

The film centers on Prabha, a troubled young man whose sudden and unexplained death triggers a ripple effect across his extended family and community.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 17 July 2026
What To Watch For Whether Guerrero’s shooting will spur efforts to add guardrails on ICE agents, as Democratic lawmakers told the AP that Brouillette’s allegedly troubled background had exposed flaws in how the agency hires and deploys its officers.

— Alison Durkee, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

Definition of troubled

Adjective

If anyone was worried about a lack of personality from SEC coaches this coming season, their fears were likely quelled during SEC Media Days this week.

— Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 July 2026
Luria, however, worried about that tangle of investments which bind the AI giants to their own customers; the love triangle of Google, Amazon and Anthropic; Microsoft and OpenAI, Nvidia and CoreWeave.

— Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 23 July 2026

Definition of worried

Adjective

And investors are increasingly nervous about when and whether the mind-boggling sums being spent by Big Tech on data centers will ever generate returns.

— Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 23 July 2026
This can reduce uncertainty for patients who are nervous about traveling abroad.

— Nia Bowers, USA Today, 22 July 2026