fretfulness

7.7

A feeling of being nervous, annoyed, or easily upset

noun
/ˈfrɛtfəl.nəs/

: irritabilidad

This has created a passive citizenry that oscillates between fretfulness and cynicism.

Examples

The fretfulness of Jewish Israelis increased following the events of September 11, 2001, and the consequent rise of regional and global jihadi terror organizations like al-Qa'ida and, more recently, the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS).

Academic text (2017)
Finding her again had made him happy, but his mind kept turning over in fretfulness because of the fear that what had happened before was going to happen again.

Fiction book (1998)
Modern American society has tried to distance itself from end-of-life fretfulness.

Academic text (2015)
Grinning at Dan's fretfulness, she unreeled the auxiliary tether from her equipment belt and clipped it to the closest grip.

Fiction book (2001)
His constant fretfulness made it difficult for him to focus on his work.
The child's fretfulness during the long trip was evident as he repeatedly asked, 'Are we there yet?'
Despite her friend's efforts to reassure her, she could not shake off her feelings of fretfulness about the upcoming exam.

Synonyms

nervousness

vsfretfulness

36 2.7

A feeling of being worried or anxious

adds a stronger element of becoming easily upset or irritable to the unease

irritation

vsfretfulness

27 3.6

A feeling of annoyance or anger

is broader by combining that feeling with ongoing unease and upset

annoyance

vsfretfulness

26 2.8

The feeling you have when something bothers you

adds a layer of nervous unease and being easily upset beyond that feeling

agitation

vsfretfulness

12 5.1

A feeling of nervous worry and restlessness

leans more toward steady upset and quick irritation than excitement

irritability

vsfretfulness

8 4.2

Being easily annoyed or quick to become angry

adds a sense of unease or being easily upset as well as annoyance

petulance

vsfretfulness

5 9.0

Being easily annoyed and acting childish

is more general adult unease and irritability rather than childish sulking

crankiness

vsfretfulness

3 6.0

Being easily annoyed and acting in odd, fussy ways

focuses more on inner unease and being easily upset than oddity

grumpiness

vsfretfulness

3 4.1

A feeling of being easily annoyed

is less about sullenness and more about feeling unsettled and upset

testiness

vsfretfulness

1 7.3

A feeling of being easily annoyed and quick to lose patience

is broader, including ongoing unease rather than only brief irritations

peevishness

vsfretfulness

1 7.3

A tendency to become easily annoyed and impatient

also involves nervous unease and a higher tendency to be upset

edginess

vsfretfulness

1 6.0

A feeling of nervousness and tension that makes you easily annoyed

is more focused on general upset and irritability rather than pure nervous tension

fractiousness

vsfretfulness

1 9.9

A tendency to be easily annoyed and hard to control

focuses on internal unease and easy upset rather than rebellious behaviour

crossness

vsfretfulness

1 8.1

Being slightly angry or annoyed

includes that bad mood but stresses inner unease as well

grouchiness

vsfretfulness

1 4.0

A state of being easily annoyed and in a bad mood

adds a stronger sense of anxiety or unease alongside annoyance

fussiness

vsfretfulness

1 5.7

A state of being easily upset or hard to please

is similar but gives more weight to restless unease than picky behaviour

snippiness

vsfretfulness

1 7.7

A short, slightly rude way of speaking to someone

is about feeling uneasy and upset, not primarily about speech style

fret

vsfretfulness

1 5.9

A feeling of worry that keeps a person from relaxing

is less about ongoing worry and more about quick upset and irritability

tetchiness

vsfretfulness

9.2

A tendency to become easily annoyed and show anger

adds a feeling of unrest or being easily upset beyond mere annoyance

huffiness

vsfretfulness

7.3

A short annoyed mood where a person acts sulky

is more stable, combining recurring unease with irritability

upsetment

vsfretfulness

8.1

A feeling of being sad, angry, or worried after bad news

includes that disturbance but highlights irritability and quick upset too

Antonyms

composure

38 5.1

Calm control of your feelings and actions in a difficult situation

calmness

9 2.7

A state without strong feelings or worry in your mind

How Fretful

agitation

12 5.1

irritability

8 4.2

fretfulness

7.7

worry

290 1.0

uneasiness

14 3.6

Surface Forms

fretfulness singular

fretfulnesses plural

Morphology

fretfulness = fretful (transparent) = fret + ful + ness

Standard noun formation from the adjective 'fretful' indicating a state or quality.

Etymology

Fretfulness comes from the verb fret, which once meant 'to eat away', so think of worry as something that slowly eats at you. So fretfulness means being easily upset or anxious, as if worry is wearing you down.