Fretfully: meaning, definitions and examples
😟
fretfully
[ ˈfrɛt.fəl.i ]
expressing worry
In a manner that expresses worry or anxiety. When someone speaks or behaves fretfully, they show signs of being uneasy or distressed about a situation.
Synonyms
anxiously, nervously, restlessly, worriedly.
Examples of usage
- She sighed fretfully as she waited for news.
- The child looked fretfully at his mother, unsure of what to expect.
- He spoke fretfully about the upcoming exam.
- The dog paced fretfully around the room during the storm.
Translations
Translations of the word "fretfully" in other languages:
🇵🇹 com preocupação
🇮🇳 चिंतित रूप से
🇩🇪 besorgt
🇮🇩 dengan cemas
🇺🇦 тривожно
🇵🇱 z niepokojem
🇯🇵 心配そうに
🇫🇷 avec inquiétude
🇪🇸 preocupadamente
🇹🇷 endişeyle
🇰🇷 걱정스럽게
🇸🇦 بقلق
🇨🇿 znepokojeně
🇸🇰 znepokojene
🇨🇳 忧虑地
🇸🇮 zaskrbljeno
🇮🇸 áhyggjufullur
🇰🇿 алаңдап
🇬🇪 აფორიაქებულად
🇦🇿 narahatlıqla
🇲🇽 con preocupación
Etymology
The word 'fretfully' derives from the adjective 'fretful', which originated in the early 17th century. The root 'fret' comes from the Middle English 'freten', meaning 'to devour' or 'to consume'. This earlier usage indicated a sense of being consumed by worry or anxiety. The suffix '-ful' was added to form the adjective 'fretful', indicating a state full of worries. Over time, 'fretfully' emerged as the adverbial form, capturing the essence of acting in a way that reflects worry or agitation. The evolution of 'fret' from its original connotation of consuming or devouring to expressing deeper emotional states highlights the dynamic nature of language, demonstrating how words can shift in meaning and usage as society's perceptions and expressions of feelings change.