FRETTING Synonyms: 162 Similar and Opposite Words

fretting 1 of 2

adjective

as in fretful

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fretting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of fret

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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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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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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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

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 fretting

Verb

Bringing back kitchen table economics Voters worried about the economy broke for Trump by 2 to 1 in 2024, fretting about the cost of everything from food in their pantries to gas in their trucks to their medications. — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2026 Investors had been fretting for months about whether the hundreds of billions of dollars being poured into AI infrastructure would generate sufficient profits to justify the expenditure. — David Averre, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2026 And just a few years ago folks were fretting over the demise of democracy and the future of the republic. — Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026 The oil, gas and coal industries had spent years casting doubt on climate change while quietly fretting that policies to address it would one day put them out of business. — Katie Worth, ProPublica, 30 Oct. 2026 As a result, Healey’s budget is expected to be relatively low-key, especially at a time when bond markets are fretting over debt levels around the world. — ABC News, 28 Oct. 2026 As critics have noted, though both Soares and Yudkowsky have spent much time fretting about an AI apocalypse, there’s no consensus that such a future is even possible — let alone probable. — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 28 Oct. 2026 Ratings agencies and investors are fretting about leverage as the combined company enters a shifting media landscape with $80 billion in debt after one of the biggest leveraged buyouts in corporate history. — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2026 Billy Joel doesn’t want anyone fretting too much over his health. — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fretting

Adjective

As the days until payment is due tick grimly by, Irwin and Hester grow increasingly fretful and angry, and their widening divisions wrench the family apart, to intimately catastrophic effect.

— Richard Brody, New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2026
The fretful electronic score is by Flying Lotus, Elliot Leung and Olivia Xiaolin.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026

Definition of fretful

Verb

With first-party fraud and friendly disputes eroding already thin retail margins, managing chargebacks requires far more than basic operational recovery.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 30 Oct. 2026
Humboldt County officials have long debated what to do about Centerville Road, a narrow, twisting byway that leads to an eroding rural beach and a handful of homes.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of eroding

Verb

In the photo, Ever is wearing black mascara that highlights her blue-green eyes, the spitting image of her mother’s, and glossy pink lipstick.

— Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 6 Nov. 2026
Our short list shapes up with a 200-hp power cruiser wearing a Lotus badge, a five-cylinder Puch moped, and an eight-cylinder, 1,000cc two-stroke motorcycle.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of wearing

Verb

In Fort Worth and other Texas cities, zoning and development regulations exist to safeguard people’s right to enjoy their properties without worrying about someone else encroaching upon them too much.

— Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Nov. 2026
The news sent markets rocking wildly, with investors worrying he could be forced to step down — a move that could trigger even more volatility.

— Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 10 Nov. 2026

Definition of worrying

Verb

The average rent in Spain has almost doubled in the last decade, eating into household budgets and upsetting voters.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Nov. 2026
To see whether eating less explained these effects, the researchers compared the drug with a diet that reduced food by the same amount.

— Lori Youmshajekian, Scientific American, 12 Nov. 2026