Saturday, October 17, 2015

Word of the Day - October 17, 2015

fractious  /ˈfrækʃəs/
adjective

Meaning:

1. (typically of children) irritable and quarrelsome.

"The couple fight and squabble like fractious children"


Synonyms
grumpy, grouchy, crotchety, cantankerous, bad-tempered, ill-tempered, ill-natured, ill-humoured, peevish, disagreeable, pettish; irritable, irascible, tetchy, testy, curmudgeonly; crabbed, crabby, waspish, prickly, peppery, touchy, scratchy, crusty, splenetic, shrewish, short-tempered, hot-tempered, quick-tempered, dyspeptic, choleric, bilious, liverish, cross-grained

2. (of a group or organization) difficult to control; unruly.

"King Malcolm struggled to unite his fractious kingdom"

Synonyms
wayward, unruly, uncontrollable, unmanageable, out of hand, obstreperous, difficult, headstrong, refractory, recalcitrant, intractable; disobedient, insubordinate, disruptive, disorderly, undisciplined, troublemaking, rebellious, mutinous, anarchic; defiant, stubborn, obstinate, contrary, wilful

Antonyms
agreeable, complaisant, happy, nice, patient, accommodating, amenable, compliant, easy, genial, good-natured, governable, kind, obedient, obliging.

Origin
fraction (discord) + -ous
First Use: 1714

No comments:

Post a Comment