as in fretful
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1
as in eroding
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in wearing
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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3
as in worrying
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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4
as in irritating
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
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Recent Examples of fretting
Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 29 Oct. 2025
This doesn’t sound like a strategy session by a party fretting about the state of play.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 21 Oct. 2025
Despite all the fretting about the Eagles on the shouty national shows, this team will probably cook in November and December.
—Andy Behrens, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Shalett’s critique came squarely in the middle of some people in the AI field — and many financial commentators around Wall Street —fretting at market exuberance and beginning to talk openly about a bubble.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2025
For anyone who has yet to join the Vulture Movies Fantasy League — or who is still fretting over which films to choose — this preview also offers some data points to help guide your selections.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025
Portraying the ghost of Hamlet’s father at the play’s debut, his face and body covered in chalky white paint, his Shakespeare steps through the looking glass and becomes his own tragic player, strutting and fretting his hour upon the stage.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2025
Down the road elsewhere in Newark, Mitch Gambert, CEO and owner of Gambert Shirtmakers, is fretting over the future of his business due to the upheaval caused by the administration’s ever-evolving trade policy.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 14 Aug. 2025
Consolidation has been another trend, with some fretting over Amazon merging Wondery into Audible and cutting staff.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2025
Verb
Meta and others are engaged in an accelerating AI arms race that has some economists and investors fretting about a possible bubble and seeking reassurance that revenue growth can sustain the massive spending required.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 29 Oct. 2025
This doesn’t sound like a strategy session by a party fretting about the state of play.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 21 Oct. 2025
Despite all the fretting about the Eagles on the shouty national shows, this team will probably cook in November and December.
—Andy Behrens, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Shalett’s critique came squarely in the middle of some people in the AI field — and many financial commentators around Wall Street —fretting at market exuberance and beginning to talk openly about a bubble.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2025
For anyone who has yet to join the Vulture Movies Fantasy League — or who is still fretting over which films to choose — this preview also offers some data points to help guide your selections.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025
Portraying the ghost of Hamlet’s father at the play’s debut, his face and body covered in chalky white paint, his Shakespeare steps through the looking glass and becomes his own tragic player, strutting and fretting his hour upon the stage.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2025
Down the road elsewhere in Newark, Mitch Gambert, CEO and owner of Gambert Shirtmakers, is fretting over the future of his business due to the upheaval caused by the administration’s ever-evolving trade policy.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 14 Aug. 2025
Consolidation has been another trend, with some fretting over Amazon merging Wondery into Audible and cutting staff.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fretting
Adjective
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But that doesn’t mean viewers won’t be increasingly exasperated by the ways the screenplay forces Knightley’s character into a clumsy, fretful investigation.—
The New York Times,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Investors are fretful heading into the August payrolls report.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Higher insurance and financing costs would be reflected as a sanctions premium on Russian crude, widening the discount to Brent and eroding Russia’s net revenue, the analysis said.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
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But Congress has increasingly rejected his agenda, underscoring his eroding grip on power.—
NPR,
NPR,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Reese Witherspoon, Naomi Watts, Jennifer Lawrence, Sienna Miller, and more stars have been wearing outerwear that adds an instant elegant touch to outfits (even sweatpants).—
Rylee Johnston,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
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Steve Madden Mellow Cognac Suede These Steve Madden clogs remind me of the platform Ugg shoes everyone was wearing this time last year.—
Caroline Hughes,
Travel + Leisure,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
This year’s National Day box office in October was lower than in 2014, which is worrying.—
Gavin J Blair,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Nov. 2025
-
But at some point in the near future, data-center spending will likely outpace even these enormous cash flows, reducing Big Tech’s liquidity and worrying investors.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Ink merges into breast milk, tranquillity and space to think are filled with irritating barking, and Lawrence loses herself to the madness.—
Billie Melissa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
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Combining three different actives (AHAs, BHAs, and PHAs) in one product without totally irritating the skin seems like an impossible task, yet Some by Mi has accomplished it with this ease.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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But the relentless increase in the value of the most expensive art works—frequently engineered by the auction houses themselves—has meant that negotiations with consignors have become only more vexed.—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
25 Aug. 2025
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But best of all here is the vexed mother/daughter relationship, which can echo Lizzy’s terms with her own mother.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
4 June 2025
Verb
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This could make eating more enjoyable, leading to eating more.—
Merve Ceylan,
Health,
26 Oct. 2025
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The video showed dozens of videos and pictures sent to her, all featuring people eating McDonald's fries as a show of solidarity.—
Maria Morava,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The line between college sports—at least at the power conference level—and pro sports appears to be fraying and, thus far, hasn’t deterred college fans from following their favorite teams.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
24 Oct. 2025
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Al-Omari is uneasy about signs that Arab unity on disarmament is already fraying.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
11 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fretting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fretting. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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