Synonyms
Examples of freight in a Sentence
Max Reyes, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2023
Apparently — few of even the most ardent college football observers knew this until Thursday — the NCAA disallowed in-person advanced scouting in 1994 because the schools didn’t want to pay the spies’ freight any longer.
—J. Brady McCollough, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2023
In contrast to costly and delayed public projects, like California's high-speed rail, Brightline constructed its initial service between West Palm and Miami in just four years, on an existing freight line.
—Kris Van Cleave, CBS News, 20 Nov. 2023
And demand is only growing — the Federal Highway Administration projects that freight shipments will see a 30% increase by 2040.
—Topher Sanders, ProPublica, 15 Nov. 2023
Instead, crews will reinforce 100 support columns that were damaged by the fire on Saturday morning, which burned in an area beneath the freeway where vehicles and wooden freight pallets were stored.
—Corina Knoll, New York Times, 14 Nov. 2023
Jack Cooper Transport has no experience running a less-than-truckload freight network—a complex operation that requires filling trailers with multiple customers’ cargo on routes that crisscross the country—or of operating a company the size of Yellow.
—Paul Berger, WSJ, 8 Nov. 2023
During the special legislative session, as questions swirled around the lectern, the assistant wrote in an email on Sept. 11 that the governor's office received the lectern via freight carrier on Aug. 9.
—Libby Cathey, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2023
Rising energy prices, if elevated for long enough, could eventually feed into core inflation by making services such as freight and air transportation more expensive.
—Bryan Mena, CNN, 20 Sep. 2023
David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
The actual kidnapping doesn’t occur until two-thirds through the film, a narrative decision that both gives us time to understand the rhythms of Umut’s daily life and also freights even the most cheerful early scenes with a sense of gathering dread.
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 11 Oct. 2023
That approach means the movie is freighted with exposition, along with lengthy monologues and much stirring oration.
—Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2023
Rarely has an overseas presidential expedition been so uncertain even in its itinerary at the time of takeoff, and so freighted with jeopardy both political and physical.
—Peter Baker, New York Times, 18 Oct. 2023
In a conflict already freighted with allegations of war crimes, a strike on a Gaza City hospital on Tuesday has divided opinion, set back hopes for a diplomatic end to fighting and deepened global anguish over the prospect of more civilian deaths.
—Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 19 Oct. 2023
No foodstuffs are air freighted in, and nearly everything—from cheese, to bread, to miso, to kombucha, to butter—is made in-house from local ingredients.
—Liam Hess, Vogue, 9 Oct. 2023
The moment, however, was freighted with a mixed bag of emotions for both the actress and other Black Americans.
—Kyle Swenson, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2023
But this was only the second time Smith had come close enough for his head to be shaved, a ritual freighted with awful meaning for the men on death row at Wethersfield State Prison.
—Annalisa Quinn, BostonGlobe.com, 5 July 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'freight.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Noun
Middle English freghte, freight, freyte, freythe "transport of goods, charge for transportation, cargo of a ship," borrowed from Middle Dutch vrecht "cargo, charge for transport," going back to West Germanic *fraihti-, probably "what is given over or consigned to someone" (whence also Old Frisian fracht, frecht "charge for freight," Middle Low German vracht [vrecht- in vrechtman "consigner of a cargo"], Old High German frêht "reward, recompense") from *fra- "away, off" (going back to Indo-European *pro-) + Germanic *aihti- "property, possession" (whence Old English ǣht "possession, [in plural] property, goods," Old Saxon ēht "property," Old Icelandic ætt, átt "kindred, pedigree," Gothic aihtins [accusative plural] "property"), derivative, with the abstract noun suffix *-ti-, from the base of *aigan "to possess" — more at for entry 1, owe
Note: Compare fraught entry 2 and see note there.
Verb
Middle English freighten, derivative of freghte, freight freight entry 1
Noun
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Phrases Containing freight
Dictionary Entries Near freight
Cite this Entry
“Freight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/freight. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
freight
1 of 2 nounfreight
2 of 2 verb
More from Merriam-Webster on freight
Nglish: Translation of freight for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of freight for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about freight
Share