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
Suddenly the Toronto crowd’s sound turned from festive to fretful.
—
Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 6 May 2025
Long wait times became a self-fulfilling prophecy In recent weeks, news of the turmoil at Social Security mobilized fretful Americans to telephone or visit the agency, seeding further chaos.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 1 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for fretful
Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 6 May 2025
Long wait times became a self-fulfilling prophecy In recent weeks, news of the turmoil at Social Security mobilized fretful Americans to telephone or visit the agency, seeding further chaos.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 1 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for fretful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fretful
Adjective
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He was adopted two weeks later, but after 18 months in his home, Scoob developed a painful skin condition that caused his ears to bleed and left him extremely irritable.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Instead, Helen is allowed to be irritable and anti-social, chain-smoking and snappish, without the filmmaker casting judgment.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Research in attachment theory tells us that people with anxious attachment tendencies often monitor signs of availability and care in their partners.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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While all of his children enjoy supporting him at his fights, María is the one who gets the most anxious, according to Canelo.—
Nasha Smith,
PEOPLE,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Looking for role models, troubled young men find Andrew Tate.—
Jay Stahl,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
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Laporta has repeatedly said that returning to the Camp Nou, which will have a capacity of 105,000 when finished, as soon as possible is crucial to boosting their troubled finances.—
Pol Ballus,
New York Times,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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As officers tried to determine if he was connected to the disturbance, Cusick allegedly became agitated and produced a firearm, Depue said earlier.—
Robert A. Cronkleton,
Kansas City Star,
3 Sep. 2025
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The phenomenon is caused by a chemical reaction the algae produce when they are agitated or disturbed — if they are grabbed by a predator, for example, or experience a surge of movement from a wave or swimmer.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Small business owners, who rely on social media to promote and sell their products, were especially worried with a busy festive season looming.—
Nir Kshetri,
The Conversation,
14 Sep. 2025
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Parents are worried not just about getting food on the table, but whether that food is good for their kids.—
Yasmin Tayag,
The Atlantic,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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FurHaven Calming Cuddler Donut Pet Bed A fluffy bed that surrounds your dog with warmth can be great for relieving anxiety and calming down a nervous pet.—
Rachel Trujillo,
PEOPLE,
10 Sep. 2025
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Even with the mixed indications for winter golf, course owners are nervous, NCGOA CEO Jay Karen said on a video call.—
Brendan Coffey,
Sportico.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In the episode for which Howard is nominated, Matt is apprehensive to give feedback to the director that a scene from his new movie needs to be cut.—
Carson Blackwelder,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
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Auggie appeared apprehensive at first and didn't quite know what to do with the bed.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Sep. 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 15 Sep. 2025.
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