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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Example Sentences
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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
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
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The symptoms are so delayed that people often blame them on food poisoning, irritable-bowel syndrome, gluten intolerance.
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Cancer could be affectionate and chatty one moment, and withdrawn and irritable the next, with little to no explanation.
Adjective
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Max is accompanied on his adventures by anxious robot C-3PO AB Sitter, and FX, a magical alien masquerading as a toy who can turn the kid's implausibly impressive sand sculptures into fully functioning robots.
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America’s centennial in 1876 was celebrated with a grand exhibition that projected an image of national unity and inventiveness in the anxious aftermath of civil war and recession.
Adjective
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The movie follows Gugino as a grieving woman who takes in her troubled nephew, but their lives are upended when an otherworldly entity begins hunting him.
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Seeking a fresh start, Ellie moves into a house on Delaney Row hoping to leave her troubled past behind, only to discover that her new home is steeped in dark secrets and unsettling mysteries.
Adjective
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The city is recommending zoning regulations that fall in line with state statute while trying to calm residents who are worried data centers will overwhelm resources like water and energy and impose on their quality of life.
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Hollywood insider Rob Shuter is reporting that guests to the wedding are worried about the itinerary and the scale of the celebration.
Adjective
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People with heat stroke can feel confused, unable to speak properly and agitated.
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However, first base umpire Todd Tichenor tossed the agitated second baseman after Chisholm spiked his helmet toward home plate.
Adjective
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At Clis boutique in Melrose Park, owner Jeimmy Espina is nervous and overwhelmed by the number of dead and injured in her home country.
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Apple head honchos are nervous about cybersecurity – and one reason might be a recent supply chain attack on supplier Tata, the largest Indian company of its kind to ink a partnership with the front-running American smartphone company.
Adjective
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The report comes with Federal Reserve policymakers expressing mixed feelings about the economy – mostly positive on growth though apprehensive on inflation as earlier fears about weakness in the labor market have eased.
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Testa was apprehensive at first.
Adjective
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The great speculators became talkative and communicative or dull, sullen, silent, and peevish.
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Judith Lightfoot Clarke and Greg Wood carry themselves with peevish authority as the Butley, oozing entitlement.
Cite this Entry
“Fretful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fretful. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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