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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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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Recent Examples of fretting
Bloomberg, Oc Register, 23 Apr. 2026
Strategists who support Stevens and McMorrow said that as the state party held its convention this month, the Democratic chatter shifted from an expectation that Stevens or McMorrow would prevail to fretting that El-Sayed could win.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 22 Apr. 2026
The accusations reordered a wide-open gubernatorial race that had Democrats fretting the party’s large number of candidates could lead to them getting shut out of the general election in November.
—Michael R. Blood, Fortune, 13 Apr. 2026
Increasingly, teachers and schools fretting over students using artificial intelligence to complete their assignments are turning to AI detectors to catch would-be cheaters.
—Nathan Agranovsky, Washington Post, 13 Apr. 2026
Distracted ends with Bruner fretting over money and pondering options.
—Will Hermes, Rolling Stone, 3 Apr. 2026
Perhaps one, or all, of her kids, fretting over their independent-minded mother, had advised her to get it.
—Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2026
This is too early to spend much time fretting over Bichette.
—Tim Britton, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026
In Illinois, there is no fretting over electability.
—Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
Verb
Meta employees have spent much of the year fretting about job cuts, which already hit the Reality Labs division and other teams.
—Bloomberg, Oc Register, 23 Apr. 2026
Strategists who support Stevens and McMorrow said that as the state party held its convention this month, the Democratic chatter shifted from an expectation that Stevens or McMorrow would prevail to fretting that El-Sayed could win.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 22 Apr. 2026
The accusations reordered a wide-open gubernatorial race that had Democrats fretting the party’s large number of candidates could lead to them getting shut out of the general election in November.
—Michael R. Blood, Fortune, 13 Apr. 2026
Increasingly, teachers and schools fretting over students using artificial intelligence to complete their assignments are turning to AI detectors to catch would-be cheaters.
—Nathan Agranovsky, Washington Post, 13 Apr. 2026
Distracted ends with Bruner fretting over money and pondering options.
—Will Hermes, Rolling Stone, 3 Apr. 2026
Perhaps one, or all, of her kids, fretting over their independent-minded mother, had advised her to get it.
—Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2026
This is too early to spend much time fretting over Bichette.
—Tim Britton, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026
In Illinois, there is no fretting over electability.
—Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fretting
Adjective
-
The outrageous antics revolving around the experiences of fretful teen prodigy Malcolm were always anchored by his family’s tight bond.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
-
There’s a fine, touching performance, however, from Showko Showfukutei as Hana’s loving but fretful mother, desperately concerned for her daughter’s well-being but inclined to show love only through unrequired domestic service.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Sometimes, both groups split the cost of major repairs, like recent upgrades to the eroding south porch.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
8 May 2026
-
The move has raised concerns about eroding the freedom of navigation on which global trade depends.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 May 2026
Verb
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One image showed Alba enjoying a more casual meal with her pal while wearing an LA baseball cap.—
Sarah Sotoodeh,
FOXNews.com,
10 May 2026
-
Emma Bailey Leary, who manages events for Bart’s Books, the town’s storied outdoor bookshop, wandered in wearing head-to-toe fuchsia.—
Priyanka Mattoo,
Travel + Leisure,
10 May 2026
Verb
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Air quality concerns Smoke continued to linger Wednesday, worrying residents.—
Elijah Westbrook,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
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Investors previously challenged the company's aggressive spending initiatives, worrying that new tech investments would take time to pay off.—
Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Valve’s timing also coincided with a tenuous time for Windows, when Microsoft was asking users to move from Windows 10 to Windows 11, an OS with a reputation for being irritating and having higher system requirements.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
1 May 2026
-
Strong gusts of wind disperse the pollen and mold, irritating lungs.—
Devika Rao,
TheWeek,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Now he’s got an Olivier for it — and so do John Lithgow, swaying ominously in the breeze as the vexed figure of the title, and Eliot Levey, playing Dahl’s British publisher, Tom Maschler.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
24 Mar. 2026
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Freezing the landscape in time is what the people of Vermont, and not merely tourists, want, but it’s also left residents with a vexed regard for visitors.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The only other people in the restaurant were two of Magyar’s aides and Miklós, his son, who sat at a nearby table eating burrata.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
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Some health experts note, however, that these forms may provide less fiber and fewer benefits than eating the whole vegetable.—
Teresa Mull,
FOXNews.com,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
The dobby border reinforces vulnerable areas, helping prevent fraying and stretching over time.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
8 May 2026
-
The mayor’s veto eliminated a measure to reduce public hostility at a time of toxic divisions fraying the city.—
Andrew Cuomo,
New York Daily News,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fretting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fretting. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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