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
-
In the medium term, customers will use their own agents to shop rates and switch providers, eroding the inertia that has long protected incumbent relationships.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
2 May 2026
-
Back when the general plan was created in 2004, there wasn’t even any mention of climate resilience — the effects of sea level rise and eroding beaches had not yet taken hold.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
Mira arrived with her friends, wearing the pink dress and a pair of Air Force 1s.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Graham kept the rest of the styling pared down, wearing soft waves, hoop earrings and carrying a small metallic clutch.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
3 May 2026
Verb
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The organic cotton towel is both GOTS organic and Oeko-Tex-certified to keep me from worrying about harsh chemicals rubbing off on my body.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Today on the show, Kevin Dancy, vice president and regional executive at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, lays out a worrying consumer trend that’s affecting how retailers do business.—
Adrian Ma,
NPR,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Strong gusts of wind disperse the pollen and mold, irritating lungs.—
Devika Rao,
TheWeek,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Joining Stuart’s quest are his girlfriend, Denise (Lapkus); geologist buddy Bert (Posehn); and irritating quantum physicist Barry Kripke (Bowie).—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
26 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
-
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 students targeted other students eating at the restaurant.—
Rebecca Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
2 May 2026
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The Best Yogurt to Buy To get the most out of eating yogurt daily, our experts suggest plain and unflavored yogurt.—
Kirsten Nunez,
Martha Stewart,
2 May 2026
Verb
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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
-
Petrodollar takes the spotlight The OPEC exit lands on top of a petrodollar system that was already fraying at its edges.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fretting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fretting. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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