fretful

Meanings

1. 1adjectivecomparable

   Restless and irritable, often crying or complaining, especially because of discomfort or worry.

   Grammar: Used before a noun or after be: a fretful baby; the child is fretful.

   Patterns

   • fretful about something

   The fretful baby would not settle until midnight.

   She grew fretful as the storm kept the plane on the ground.

   A fretful child tugged at his mother's sleeve.

2. 2adjectivecomparable

   Showing anxious worry about something, expressed in restless behavior.

   Grammar: Can take about: fretful about the exam.

   Patterns

   • fretful about something
   • fretful over something

   He was fretful about the results of the test.

   Her fretful glances at the clock showed how nervous she was.

   The fretful passengers checked their phones every minute.

Word forms

Common combinations

fretful baby

The fretful baby needed to be carried.

fretful sleep

She had a fretful sleep before the interview.

fretful mood

He was in a fretful mood all morning.

fretful about

Don't be fretful about the small details.

grow fretful

The crowd grew fretful during the long delay.

Synonyms and how they differ

anxious

Anxious is a general word for worry, while fretful suggests visible, restless fussing.

irritable

Irritable focuses on bad temper, but fretful includes worry along with the irritation.

peevish

Peevish suggests petty, complaining annoyance, whereas fretful has a more anxious feel.

restless

Restless describes constant movement or inability to relax, without the complaining tone of fretful.

Opposites

Word family

fret verb

to worry

fretfully adverb

in a worried, irritable way

fretfulness noun

the state of being fretful

fretting noun

the act of worrying

Commonly confused: fretful or frightful?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “fretful”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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