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.

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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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fretful

Adjective

Coach There’s no better feeling than walking into your last show of the day, irritable and hungry, only to discover that snacks are being served.

— Anna Grace Lee, Vogue, 17 Sep. 2026
If a relative or housemate seems irritable, ask what’s going on instead of working around the mood.

— Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of irritable

Adjective

As in the thriller, anxious local leaders debated whether publicizing the peril would scare off tourists.

— Bob Drogin, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Because of these risks, many conservation groups and lawmakers are anxious to see permanent protections.

— Christiana Freitag, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of anxious

Adjective

Everyone was in a good mood, if a little nervous about what was going to be discussed.

— Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
Alberto Hernandez Castillo, a Cuban national with lawful permanent residence in the United States, was also acting nervous, the agent said.

— David Goodhue October 6, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of nervous

Adjective

Not that the type of people staying here are worried about getting anywhere; this is the private car and driver, door-to-door service type of clientele.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
But instead of celebrating that success, Andi is worried she’ll be seen as an opportunist rather than a legitimate co-author.

— Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of worried

Adjective

Morales recalled overhearing Ramirez on the phone in January confiding in someone about her troubled relationship.

— Theodore Parisienne, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026
Still, the concern extends beyond political disagreement for the anonymous worker who left the troubled Livingston production behind.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of troubled

Adjective

Created in 1958, the ballet felt unmistakably New York in its sound, its street clothes, its restless young people, its particular brand of cool.

— Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2026
Recorded in Texas and rooted in the sound of the border, Bobby Pulido’s enduring classic turns restless longing into warm, danceable energy.

— qygwork, Billboard, 28 Sep. 2026