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 Investors have fretted that Nvidia's growth has been driven by a handful of large technology companies called hyperscalers, which are building out data centers that end up largely serving a few frontier labs such as OpenAI. — Kif Leswing, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026 Benchmark oil prices also topped $90 a barrel as investors fretted that efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz were making little headway. — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 18 Aug. 2026 Meanwhile in England, Queen Victoria fretted about receiving a gemstone obtained in such an unsavory way, and worried about the condition of Duleep. — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 17 Aug. 2026 Other European politicians fretted about national infrastructure and defense, with one comparing the loss of Mythos to Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 5 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 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fretted

Verb

The new king must steady royal fortunes amid damaging scrutiny of Queen Mette-Marit’s past ties to Jeffrey Epstein and stepson Marius Høiby’s rape conviction, which has eroded public support for the monarchy.

— Jan M. Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
If investors intended to have a 10% to 20% allocation to international as part of their strategic long-term planning, that could have eroded to as little as 2% to 5% given the extent of the bull market in the S&P 500 in recent years.

— Eric Rosenbaum, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of eroded

Verb

Longer-term yields on 10-year and 30-year Treasuries were mostly flat, suggesting investors aren’t worried that higher rates will be needed for a long stretch of time to fight inflation.

— Christopher Rugaber, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026
Nvidia also said that Amazon Web Services would purchase 2 million of its graphic processors, offering an encouraging sign for investors worried that hyperscaler spending could shrink.

— Alex Harring, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of worried

Verb

As the latest iteration of her signature red tresses, these braids are just like the songs on her latest studio album, Blue Island—frayed, perfectly tousled, and free-flowing.

— Sidney Madden, VIBE.com, 19 Aug. 2026
Reconstituting the bilateral bond between the two countries, now frayed by more than a year of threats and punitive measures, will not happen overnight.

— Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of frayed

Verb

It was previously listed as a potential site for the National Museum of the American Latino in 2022, but was scratched over concerns that the small exhibition space could only be expanded underground.

— News Desk, Artforum, 24 Aug. 2026
If you have been bitten or scratched by any stray animals or an animal suspected to have rabies, seek medical care immediately and let your provider know about the possible exposure.

— Dan Raby, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of scratched

Verb

The tacos feature za’atar rubbed swordfish kissed by a wood-burning grill, dabbed with tangy pools of labne and a salsa arabe, similar to harissa.

— The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Aug. 2026
Tragedy, humor and scientific interest rubbed shoulders as Atlanta turned out Thursday night to view the astral spectacle which sent 261 stars streaking across the heavens.

— AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 12 Aug. 2026