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
Performance Jones prods the start button and the four-cylinder power plant coughs grumpily into life, then settles to a fretful idle.
—
Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 28 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for fretful
Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 28 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for fretful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fretful
Adjective
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However, such symptoms are hard to attribute to vaccines because infants can be irritable or fussy regardless of vaccination.—
Aria Bendix,
NBC news,
19 Sep. 2025
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When the caffeine wears off, children may have a headache and feel irritable or tired.—
Dr. Mark Corkins,
Boston Herald,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Yair's release in February 2025 brought relief to the family, but left them deeply anxious for Eitan.—
Itay Stern,
NPR,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Limburg said the program is designed to reach people who have not been screened because of lack of medical access or transportation barriers − as well as those who are anxious or fearful over getting a colonoscopy.—
Ken Alltucker,
USA Today,
12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Lots of laughter, troubled gazes, leftovers.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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The chancellor for the troubled University of Minnesota-Morris will step down from her role by the end of December.—
Forum News Service,
Twin Cities,
15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
In a September 15 TikTok video posted by user @belmelly, a dog sat in the backseat of a vehicle, agitated and barking nonstop.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
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Two passengers later described him as agitated and angry.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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During a ten-minute break, Heidi was worried.—
Joe Garcia,
New Yorker,
12 Oct. 2025
-
Midwest The Upper Midwest is the only area that has some potential for minor travel delays, but the Farmer’s Almanac isn’t too worried.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Each new round of tariffs rattles markets and makes investors more nervous about what the White House might do next.—
Veronique De Rugy,
Oc Register,
17 Oct. 2025
-
When Wright first reached out to Hall, Hall was nervous about working with the shelter.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Allsup, crouched in a small crate, looked quietly apprehensive.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Waymo, Tesla face challenging regulatory environment Beyond technical challenges, autonomous-vehicle firms must navigate a patchwork of regulations while also reassuring community leaders who might be apprehensive about driverless vehicles.—
Chris Kirkham,
Nashville Tennessean,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
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 17 Oct. 2025.
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