'Fretful' definitions:
Definition of 'fretful'
(from WordNet)
Definition of 'Fretful'
From: GCIDE
- Fretful \Fret"ful\, a. [See 2d Fret.] Disposed to fret; ill-humored; peevish; angry; in a state of vexation; as, a fretful temper. -- {Fret"ful*ly}, adv. -- {Fret"ful*ness}, n.
- Syn: Peevish; ill-humored; ill-natured; irritable; waspish; captious; petulant; splenetic; spleeny; passionate; angry.
- Usage: Fretful, Peevish, Cross. These words all indicate an unamiable working and expression of temper. Peevish marks more especially the inward spirit: a peevish man is always ready to find fault. Fretful points rather to the outward act, and marks a complaining impatience: sickly children are apt to be fretful. Crossness is peevishness mingled with vexation or anger. [1913 Webster]
Synonyms of 'fretful'
From: Moby Thesaurus
- abrupt,
- agitated,
- antsy,
- antsy-pantsy,
- anxious,
- bad-tempered,
- breathless,
- bustling,
- captious,
- carping,
- catty,
- caviling,
- chafing,
- choleric,
- complaining,
- contrary,
- crabby,
- cranky,
- critical,
- cross,
- curt,
- disagreeable,
- eager,
- edgy,
- excited,
- faultfinding,
- fidgety,
- fluttering,
- fluttery,
- fractious,
- fretting,
- fussing,
- fussy,
- grumpy,
- hasty,
- hopped-up,
- howling,
- huffy,
- ill-natured,
- ill-tempered,
- impatient,
- impetuous,
- in a lather,
- in a stew,
- in a sweat,
- irascible,
- irritable,
- Jeremianic,
- jumpy,
- lamentive,
- moanful,
- moody,
- mournful,
- nagging,
- naggy,
- on edge,
- peevish,
- perverse,
- pettish,
- petulant,
- plaintive,
- plangent,
- puling,
- querulous,
- resentful,
- restive,
- restless,
- short,
- short-tempered,
- shrewish,
- snappish,
- sorrowful,
- splenetic,
- squirming,
- squirmy,
- sulky,
- testy,
- tetchy,
- touchy,
- turbulent,
- ululant,
- uneasy,
- unpatient,
- unquiet,
- unsettled,
- vexed,
- vixenish,
- vixenly,
- wailful,
- waspish,
- whimpering,
- whining,
- whiny