fretfully r in a fretful manner fretfully, the baby tossed in his crib Usage(s) The child is a whale, inside a hollow iceberg; it fretfully watches its parents' shadows outside the ice wall as it tries to escape. Says she fretfully: "The trouble with getting inside your head is that once I'm there I'm on my own. He spoke fondly of his young daughter and fretfully about his health.