fractious

[ frak-shuhs ]
/ ˈfræk ʃəs /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR fractious ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

refractory or unruly: a fractious animal that would not submit to the harness.
readily angered; peevish; irritable; quarrelsome: an incorrigibly fractious young man.

Origin of fractious

First recorded in 1715–25; fracti(on) + -ous

OTHER WORDS FROM fractious

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH fractious

factional factious fractious

Words nearby fractious

fractionate, fractionating column, fractionation, fractionator, fractionize, fractious, fractocumulus, fractostratus, fractur, fracture, fracture by contrecoup

Words related to fractiousness

obstinacy, roughness, recalcitrance, refractoriness, intractability, wildness, rowdiness, unmanageability

Example sentences from the Web for fractiousness

British Dictionary definitions for fractiousness

fractious
/ (ˈfrækʃəs) /

adjective

irritable
unruly

Derived forms of fractious

fractiously, adverb fractiousness, noun

Word Origin for fractious

C18: from (obsolete) fraction discord + -ous

usage for fractious

Fractious is sometimes wrongly used where factious is meant: this factious (not fractious) dispute has split the party still further