FRETTED Synonyms: 94 Similar and Opposite Words

fretted

verb

past tense of fret

as in eroded

to consume or wear away gradually over the span of thousands of years, the annual spring runoff fretted the rock, forming a deep channel

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as in wore

to damage or diminish by continued friction don't let the girth fret the horse's belly or you won't be able to ride him

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as in worried

to experience concern or anxiety don't fret over whether it will be sunny tomorrow, as there's nothing we can do about it

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as in irritated

to make sore by continued rubbing the stiff, starchy collar was fretting my neck, and I couldn't wait to change out of that costume

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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 fretted Months ago, businesses fretted over adversaries using AI to attack. — Samantha Subin, CNBC, 1 Aug. 2026 Daniel de Visé Stocks opened lower on July 29, ahead of Federal Reserve action on interest rates, as traders fretted about rising oil prices. — Rachel Barber, USA Today, 29 July 2026 Still, shares of Alphabet fell 3% in after-hours trading on Wednesday, as investors fretted about the company’s rising capital expenditures (up to $205 billion in 2026 spending) and fierce competition facing its Gemini family of AI models. — Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 23 July 2026 That’s a relief to Hollywood, which fretted that the pandemic had hampered Gen Z from developing a taste for going to the movies. — Kelenna Onukwugha, Christian Science Monitor, 21 July 2026 But the recent action on Anthropic, as well as asking OpenAI to limit its own newest model, comes after experts have fretted for months that Mythos could pose a security risk by giving hackers and other bad actors access to AI capable of finding and exploiting vulnerabilities exceptionally quickly. — Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 27 June 2026 But where some insiders fretted about the social blowback, Jenkins knew the flap was priceless marketing for the brand. — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 24 June 2026 In it, Heuermann complained about jail food and exercise conditions and fretted that guards might be reading his mail. — Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 17 June 2026 Ever since the proposal was first brought forward, local officials have fretted over its potential impacts on operations and services — albeit with an incomplete picture of its impacts. — Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fretted

Verb

But in all cases, their leadership was eroded by deep structural forces, especially the impact of Brexit.

— Garret Martin, The Conversation, 31 July 2026
Crystal hates that shows drop an entire season on release day, and thinks streaming has eroded the monoculture that used to propel powerful franchises to billion-dollar heights.

— Jack Dunn, Variety, 30 July 2026

Definition of eroded

Verb

For the outing, Cox wore a black swimsuit paired with a gray cover-up, black sunglasses and a black hat.

— Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 30 July 2026
During one scene, Einbinder — dressed in a replica of a black dress Gyllenhaal wore in the original film — acted out an explicit orgasm as described in the script, breaking character in the middle of the scene to double over laughing.

— Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 29 July 2026

Definition of wore

Verb

When Gunther von Hagens’s exhibition came to town, security guards worried less about theft than nausea.

— Harrison Smith, Washington Post, 1 Aug. 2026
However, Keller residents who posted on social media worried about the proximity of the data center to their homes.

— Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of worried

Verb

But the idea has irritated California’s billionaire class, and some have left the state in protest or threatened to do so.

— Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 29 June 2026
Hasslers, the researchers found, tended to be people who irritated the study respondents but whom the respondents could not escape.

— Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 15 June 2026

Definition of irritated

Verb

The release encourages people not to use any card reader that looks loose, crooked, damaged or scratched, and to use tap-to-pay or chip technology whenever possible.

— Grant Lancaster, Arkansas Online, 27 July 2026
But The Dink has a 74% on RT (compared to 26% for The Hawk) and might scratch that sports-movie itch if it hasn’t already been scratched.

— Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026

Definition of scratched

Verb

An enormous double mutton chop, rubbed with a sweet and aromatic spice blend, and split lengthwise like a scientific specimen to display its rosy pink interior, is inspired by Chinese cumin lamb.

— Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 26 July 2026
Diners here can feast upon things like duck-fat frites for brunch and espresso-rubbed steaks for dinner.

— Iona Brannon, Travel + Leisure, 23 July 2026