fettle

noun

ˈfe-tᵊl How to pronounce fettle (audio)
Definition of fettlenext
as in health
a state of being or fitness a visit to the relatives on the other side of the state revealed them all to be in fine fettle

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fettle On the whole, the economy during this period was in fine fettle. — Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 1 Mar. 2026 Danny Musovski has been in fine fettle up front for Seattle this season and has 12 goals in 32 games for Wednesday's hosts. — Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Aug. 2025 Canada looked in fine fettle and are well on their way to the knockouts. — Phil Hay, New York Times, 20 June 2025 Having spent the interwar period yo-yoing between the divisions, United emerged from the Second World War in fine fettle on the pitch but a mess off it. — Matt Slater, The Athletic, 5 Aug. 2024 See All Example Sentences for fettle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fettle
  1. health
  2. condition
  3. shape
Noun
  • Calorie reduction reliably improves health and lifespan in many organisms, including yeast, worms, flies and rodents.
    — Rowan Jacobsen, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Trump did not appear to be aware of the NIH's existing office of women's health research.
    — Dan Diamond, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of health
Noun
  • The Singapore Shipping Association also played down the prospect of a broad withdrawal of commercial shipping from the region, suggesting operators would instead adapt to changing trade conditions.
    — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The team also evaluated methods for attaching sensors to storage casks, with the aim of developing installations capable of remaining in place for years under high-temperature and high-radiation conditions.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of condition
Noun
  • The wide-leg pants keep things relaxed, and the ruched waist on the knit top adds shape and makes the whole look feel more polished than a standard sweatshirt set.
    — Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Part of its purpose, from the beginning, was not only to deliver new facts but to interpret ragged events for a nervous audience of relatively prosperous, largely white viewers who shared Wallace’s concern about the shape and tenor of the future.
    — Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of shape

Phrases Containing fettle

Browse Nearby Words

fetters
fettle
feud
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fettle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fettle. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All