Frĕt'ful, a.

a. Disposed to fret; ill-humored; peevish; angry; in a state of vexation; as, a fretful temper.

Synonyms—Peevish; ill-humored; ill-natured; irritable; waspish; captious; petulant; splenetic; spleeny; passionate; angry.—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.

She is peevish, sullen, froward, Proud, disobedient, stubborn, lacking duty. Shak.

Are you positive and fretful? Heedless, ignorant, forgetful? Swift.

The lighter sort of malignity turneth but to a crossness or aptness to oppose; but the deeper sort, to envy or mere mischief. Bacon.