fractious

UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈfrækʃəs/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ˈfrækʃəs/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(frak′shəs)


WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
frac•tious /ˈfrækʃəs/USA pronunciation   adj. 
  1. readily angered;
    quarrelsome;
    irritable.
frac•tious•ly, adv. 
frac•tious•ness, n. [uncountable]See -frac-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
frac•tious  (frak′shəs),USA pronunciation adj. 
  1. refractory or unruly:a fractious animal that would not submit to the harness.
  2. readily angered;
    peevish;
    irritable;
    quarrelsome:an incorrigibly fractious young man.
  • fracti(on) + -ous 1715–25
frac′tious•ly, adv. 
frac′tious•ness, n. 
    1. . stubborn, difficult. 2. . testy, captious, petulant, snappish, pettish, waspish, touchy.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
fractious /ˈfrækʃəs/ adj
  1. irritable
  2. unruly
Etymology: 18th Century: from (obsolete) fraction discord + -ousˈfractiously adv ˈfractiousness n
'fractious' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
bumptious - cross - froward - indocile - intractable - toey

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