Make Your Point > Archived Issues > FRACTIOUS

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connect today's word to others: You might see fractious and guess that it means "like a fraction." You'd be pretty close. An old meaning of fraction is "discord: a lack of harmony," and that's the meaning that gave us fractious. Fractious people sow discord by acting like cranky toddlers: they're rude, irritable, and hard to manage. If you can call someone fractious, then you can probably also call her bi__ous (cranky, irritable, or full of hateful anger), qu____ous (complaining a lot in an annoying, whiny way), and can_____rous (in a bad mood and grumpy, and eager to start a petty disagreement).  (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "FRACTIOUS" Fractious people and things are cranky, stubborn, badly behaved, and/or easily annoyed. Pronunciation: FRACK shuss Part of speech: Adjective. (Adjectives are describing words, like "large" or "late." They can be used in two ways: 1. Right before a noun, as in "a fractious thing" or "a fractious person." 2. After a linking verb, as in "It was fractious" or "He was fractious.") Other forms: fractiously, fractiousness How to use it: Talk about fractious animals and people (especially children), fractious groups and organizations, fractious behavior and conduct, fractious voices and comments and complaints, fractious talks and dialogue and arguments, fractious encounters and standoffs, fractious environments, etc. To get abstract, you might talk about fractious machinery, components, programs, processes, etc. Does "fractious" also mean "factional"? Yes and no: Very often, people say "fractious" when they mean "factious, or factional: full of bitter divisiveness." They're not necessarily wrong. "Fractious" really did mean "factious" in the 1700's. It just doesn't anymore, according to dictionaries. I point this out because if you want to use "fractious" to mean "factional," then you'll be in good company, and I won't stop you. Maybe the dictionaries are wrong. A word means what people use it to mean, right? examples: He delivered another rambling, fractious speech, shifting the blame, insulting his opponents, exaggerating his accomplishments. No one wanted to say out loud how peaceful and productive it was when our most fractious classmate was absent. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "fractious" means when you can explain it without saying "like a cranky child" or "irritable." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "In a fractious wail, (someone) accused (someone else) of (doing something petty)." Example: "In a fractious wail, she accused her brother of taking all the flat green Legos." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. This month, see if you can associate a snippet of song lyrics with a word we’ve studied before. For example, here's Dave Matthews: "Wasting time, let the hours roll by doing nothing for the fun. A little taste of the good life." Those lyrics call to mind the word LOTUS-EATING. From our previous issue:  In "Dancing in the Moonlight," Sherman Kelly sings:   "We like our fun and we never fight You can't dance and stay uptight It's a supernatural delight Everybody was dancin' in the moonlight." Do those lyrics call to mind the word DEVIANT, JOVIAL, or VESUVIAN? Why? Answer: JOVIAL. When you're jovial, you're in a good mood, having a great time with other people. Feelin' warm and right! :) Try this today: In "Master of the House," the actor playing the innkeeper Thenardier in the musical Les Miserables sings:   "Reasonable charges plus some little extras on the side Charge 'em for the lice, extra for the mice Two percent for looking in the mirror twice Here a little slice, there a little cut Three percent for sleeping with the window shut." Do those lyrics call to mind the word CENSORIOUS, ILLUSTRIOUS, or USURIOUS? Why? review today's word: 1. One opposite of FRACTIOUS is A. FINE-WITTED. B. WELL-HEELED. C. GOOD-HUMORED. 2. Their whole relationship is fractious; she responds to everything he says with _____. A. instant, thoughtless agreement B. some rude or dismissive remark C. an even more clever comment of her own Answers are below. a final word: Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From Liesl's blog:    36 ways to study words.    Why we forget words, & how to remember them.    How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. C 2. B