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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Recent Examples of fretful
Which is neurotically fretful for a chef who prides himself on buying the very best ingredients in the market.
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John Mariani, Forbes, 3 Sep. 2024
In 2020, Joe did sterling work managing the inheritance of the Trump administration, but for weeks there’s been a fretful question mark over his ability to win reelection.
—Raven Smith, Vogue, 22 July 2024
Nothing gave voice to the fretful backlash more than Trump.
—James Morone, Foreign Affairs, 13 Feb. 2018
Joe Biden and his presidential campaign continued to try to assuage fretful donors following the president’s dismal performance at the debate on Thursday.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 29 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for fretful 
John Mariani, Forbes, 3 Sep. 2024
In 2020, Joe did sterling work managing the inheritance of the Trump administration, but for weeks there’s been a fretful question mark over his ability to win reelection.
—Raven Smith, Vogue, 22 July 2024
Nothing gave voice to the fretful backlash more than Trump.
—James Morone, Foreign Affairs, 13 Feb. 2018
Joe Biden and his presidential campaign continued to try to assuage fretful donors following the president’s dismal performance at the debate on Thursday.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 29 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for fretful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fretful
Adjective
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Coupled with erratic blood sugar levels – often caused by diets high in refined sugars and low in nutrients – these energy dips and spikes can leave you feeling irritable and drained.Lina Begdache, The Conversation, 7 Jan. 2025
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This can contribute to symptoms such as fatigue, muscle aches, and irritable mood.Rosanna Sutherby, PharmD, Verywell Health, 3 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Beyond those under mandatory evacuation, many more, including many families and anxious pet owners, have left because of poor air quality or general wariness of the county’s precarious state.Christopher Reynolds, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2025
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Interview Crush on the Cross: An Interview with Anthony Oliveira Jason Kirk The author of Dayspring discusses queerness, Christianity, and the anxious sense that history is over.Max Ufberg, hazlitt.net, 10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The movie itself was widely criticized, with director Sam Taylor-Johnson facing accusations of exploiting Winehouse’s troubled personal life, but Abela earned high praise for her embodiment of who many deem one of the greatest musical talents of the 21st century.Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Jan. 2025
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Stellantis, which celebrated its fourth anniversary in January following the merger of Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot, has had a troubled year and is shopping for a new CEO after Tavares resigned.Jamie L. LaReau, Detroit Free Press, 3 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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That’s why, in the final minutes of the team’s home finale last month, agitated fans at Soldier Field serenaded McCaskey and his family with an impassioned request.Dan Wiederer, Chicago Tribune, 12 Jan. 2025
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In the middle of the party, an accordion player jigged among a group of young, unsteady revelers, rapping to the beat like an agitated auctioneer.Matthew Bremner, Rolling Stone, 5 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Few folks are worried about how the yard looks, but Travis Hogan has a keen interest in green grass in January.Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 13 Jan. 2025
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But the more time Zuckerberg spends in Mar-a-Lago, the more Sam Altman and Tim Cook should be worried.Alex Heath, The Verge, 12 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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But that didn’t stop Greenbaum from being a little nervous about screening the film for Harper and Will.Matthew Carey, Deadline, 12 Jan. 2025
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During this time, his nervous pacing was broken by fits of crying and sobbing.Al Wolter, Outdoor Life, 10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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This is why Mora is most excited, if apprehensive, about exporting this most Colombian of stories to a global audience once more.Manuel Betancourt, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2024
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Last month, Patti LuPone appeared on The View and seemed more than a little apprehensive about seeing the new Broadway production of Sunset Blvd., the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical that LuPone once (and briefly) headed.Greg Evans, Deadline, 12 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The songs are muscular and syncretic as ever, but the normally peevish rapper doesn’t maintain his trolling energy for the full record, settling into a questioning and pensive pace.Stephen Kearse, TIME, 8 Dec. 2024
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For all that, his Arthur remains a lowly outsider, with a downcast gaze, a peevish temper, and a deep well of melancholy that never feels one-note.Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near fretful
Cite this Entry
“Fretful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fretful. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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