fractious

adjective
UK: /ˈfrækʃəs/
US: /ˈfrækʃəs/

  1. Easily upset or annoyed, and often complaining

    1. The baby was fractious and wouldn't stop crying.
    2. The fractious crowd grew increasingly impatient as the speaker continued to delay his presentation.

  2. Irritable and quarrelsome; difficult to control or deal with.

    1. He's getting fractious now that he is tired.
    2. Negotiations became fractious as both sides grew entrenched in their positions.

Synonyms

testy petulant peevish irascible cranky quarrelsome irritable

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "fractious" in English means: Easily upset or annoyed, and often complaining, Irritable and quarrelsome; difficult to control or deal with..

The phonetic transcription of "fractious" is /ˈfrækʃəs/ in British English and /ˈfrækʃəs/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "fractious": testy, petulant, peevish, irascible, cranky, quarrelsome, irritable.

Example usage of "fractious": "The baby was fractious and wouldn't stop crying.". More examples on the page.