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

Considered from one angle, the movie is superficial and conventional, zipping heedlessly between the characters without fretting about point of view, creating scenes that don’t so much illuminate characters as simply push the story along. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2026 Room for Disagreement Left-wing Democrats are still fretting that party leaders won’t give voters concrete, populist policies. — David Weigel, semafor.com, 2 Sep. 2026 Republican leadership was, once again, fretting over whether frustrations among some hardline conservatives would effectively freeze the legislative agenda. — Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026 Across the developed world, central bankers are fretting over the same issues. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026 Harvard University’s policy capping A grades among undergraduates doesn’t officially start for another year, but students heading back to school this fall are already fretting over the changes. — Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 19 Aug. 2026 One day after hitting two homers, Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Nolan Arenado was fretting about a pain he's never felt. — ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026 The machine works using a series of gears, magnetic actuators, and arms in a mechanical structure split into the equivalent of a musician's fretting hand and picking hand. — Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 9 Aug. 2026 National Democrats are fretting that John Fetterman will switch parties. — Adam Beam, AJC.com, 31 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fretting

Adjective

The game, like most finals, was a fretful affair, played under a brain-altering gaze.

— Sam Knight, New Yorker, 20 July 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

The same channels that connected people and lifted small businesses were also fueling disinformation, eroding trust and democratic debate, and weighing on teenagers’ mental health.

— Quentin Bordage, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026
Communities have seen waves pound the coastline, eroding the shore and putting homes and infrastructure at risk.

— Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of eroding

Verb

Rolison was a good sport and committed to the bit, despite wearing it for 12 hours in the hot weather.

— Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
In the first photo, the SKIMS founder is seen wearing a pink tube top paired with a choker necklace and a frosty lip shade, all signature trends of the early aughts.

— Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of wearing

Verb

The textured surface made whisking things like custard or béchamel irritating as the whisk repeatedly snagged on the textured surface.

— Wilder Davies, Bon Appetit Magazine, 17 Sep. 2026
Customers no longer receive generic, irritating blasts, instead experiencing highly contextual, proactive and genuinely helpful brand interactions that adapt to their real-time needs.

— Pratik Bhadra, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of irritating

Verb

But perhaps a more important factor is that mortgage rate buydowns, free upgrades and other incentives are eating into their bottom lines.

— Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2026
Arempa’s — where the walls are filled with photos of Venezuelan waterfalls, an image of Mona Lisa eating an arepa and Miss Venezuela portraits — grew to five restaurants.

— Elliot Spagat, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026