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 Republicans have fretted that Miller’s scandals could make the district Trump won by 11 points in 2024 vulnerable in what’s expected to be a strong year for Democrats. — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 7 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 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 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fretted

Verb

Over the past eighty years, parts have eroded down the slope.

— Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
That changed in 2013 when lowering the threshold to a simple majority intensified partisanship and eroded the standard of qualifications for nominees.

— Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of eroded

Verb

In a clip posted to her Instagram Stories, the Duchess of Sussex wore her pajamas while cooking breakfast as music played in the background.

— Hannah Malach, InStyle, 5 Aug. 2026
Enter for a chance to win one of 10 MERIT Signature Lip Blush lipsticks in Archival—the same shade the ballet icon wore at the Met Gala.

— Staff Author, PEOPLE, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of wore

Verb

Within four months, the other members of the selectorate, worried that Beria was a threat, arrested him in a committee session and subsequently executed him.

— Julian G. Waller, Foreign Affairs, 7 Aug. 2026
Advertisers stayed away, worried that ads would appear next to antisemitic posts, misinformation, and other objectionable content.

— Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 6 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

That’s exactly what happened Sunday afternoon, when Rushing was scratched with an arm irritation.

— Katie Woo, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
The August board meeting agenda had a line item to discuss the draft of the letter, but Cameron announced at the beginning of the gathering that it was scratched.

— Lizzie Kane, Sacbee.com, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of scratched

Verb

And the ancient Greeks, meanwhile, rubbed olive oil on their skin.

— Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 6 Aug. 2026
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