Fractious means cranky, irritable, and difficult to control or manage. A fractious toddler throws tantrums and refuses to cooperate at bedtime. A fractious classroom is full of students who won't settle down, talking over the teacher and arguing with each other.

The word often describes groups that can't get along or work together peacefully. A fractious committee argues constantly and struggles to make decisions. A fractious political debate involves people shouting and interrupting rather than listening respectfully. The word suggests a cranky, quarrelsome energy that makes cooperation nearly impossible, going beyond simple disagreement.

You might feel fractious yourself when you're overtired, hungry, or frustrated. That grumpy, contrary mood where everything annoys you and you want to argue with everyone? That's being fractious. Animals can be fractious too: a fractious horse bucks and refuses to be led, while a fractious cat hisses and won't let anyone near it.