Synonyms for fretful
- adjective
Synonyms by meaning
Adjective
1. Querulous — given to fretting. Irritable; bad-tempered; grumpy; peevish
querulous, peevish, irritable, petulant, fractious, sullen, ill-tempered, angry, discontented, irascible, moody, sulky, testy, whiny, annoyed, choleric, ill-natured, hasty, cross, touchy, complaining, waspish
Other
Definitions
- adj. 1
Given to fretting. Irritable; bad-tempered; grumpy; peevish.
Near-synonyms: fractious, petulant, waspish, impatient, angry, annoyed
- adj. 2
Given to fretting. Unable to relax: fidgety; restless; worried; anxious.
Related words
- Word family
- fretfully fretfulness
Choose the right word
Fretful points rather to the outward act, and marks a complaining impatience: sickly children are apt to be fretful.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
Example sentences
- irritable Tom is usually a little irritable in the morning.
- petulant Her petulant humor upset the attendees.
- peevish Tom woke up feeling rather peevish.
- querulous The storekeeper, Tom Jackson, is a querulous man.
- restless The longer we stayed, the more restless we became.
- fidgety The baby is fidgety because it has wind.
By length
- 5 letters
- cross1, angry2, moody2, hasty2, itchy2, whiny2, testy2, antsy2, sulky
- 6 letters
- touchy2, sullen2, fretty
- 7 letters
- annoyed2, restive2, fidgety, peevish2, waspish
- 8 letters
- restless2, petulant3, choleric3
- 9 letters
- irritable4, fractious2, irascible4, querulous3
- 11 letters
- complaining3
- 12 letters
- discontented4
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (angry2 = 2 syllables).