fretfully
/ˈfretfəli/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈfretfəli/ (ame, ipa) · /-fəlē -li/ (ame, mw)
fretfully — adverb
1. in a restless, troubled manner, often making small sounds or movements because y
in a restless, troubled manner, often making small sounds or movements because you feel anxious or irritated.
Hiroshi paced fretfully outside the clinic, waiting for his test results.
collocation: paced fretfully
The child moved fretfully in her sleep, kicking off the blanket.
fretfully + verb of movement
Ananya checked her phone fretfully every few minutes, hoping for good news.
The dog whimpered fretfully by the gate after its owner left for work.
Kwame pushed his food around the plate fretfully, too anxious to eat.
- anxiously
broader in scope; covers internal nervousness without necessarily implying fidgeting
- worriedly
focuses on the mental state of concern rather than physical restlessness
- restlessly
emphasises inability to stay still, without the irritation that fretfully can carry
- calmly
without agitation or worry
- peacefully
in a quiet, untroubled manner
文法句型
fretfully + verb of movement or sound
用法筆記
Frequently used with verbs describing restless physical actions (pace, move, toss, shift) or worried sounds (sigh, whimper, mutter). Less common with stative verbs like sit or stand.