fractious

adjective

frac·tious ˈfrak-shəs $How to pronounce fractious (audio)$

Synonyms of fractious next

: tending to be troublesome : unruly

a fractious crowd

: quarrelsome, irritable

a fractious political campaign

fractiously adverb

fractiousness noun

Did you know?

The Latin verb frangere means "to break or shatter" and is related to a few common words, which is evident in their meanings. Dishes that are fragile break easily. A person whose health is easily broken might be described as frail. A fraction is one of the many pieces into which a whole can be broken. But fraction also once meant "disharmony" or "discord"—that is, a "rupture in relations." From this noun sense came the adjective fractious.

Examples of fractious in a Sentence

The fractious crowd grew violent.

Recent Examples on the Web

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When the Department of Transportation has only a sparse staff and limited budget to cope with 6,000 miles of streets and an endless supply of fractious New Yorkers eager to tweak, delay, and even block the lifesaving street redesigns. —

Justin Davidson, Curbed, 13 Nov. 2024 Europe’s biggest leaders have rushed to congratulate Donald Trump on his upcoming return to the White House ahead of what is likely to be a fractious four years between the continent and the new U.S. regime. —

Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 6 Nov. 2024 Which topic is the bigger dinner-table conversation killer: our nation’s fractious presidential election, or your own family’s finances? —

Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 4 Nov. 2024 But Trump is still seen in Beijing’s policy circles as likely to drive a more fractious relationship with China than Harris would. —

Simone McCarthy, CNN, 31 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for fractious