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
Samantha Subin, CNBC, 18 Feb. 2026
China will be fretting over freestyle skier Eileen Gu, who fell short of gold at the Beijing Games four years ago.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 5 Feb. 2026
Maybe fretting over fading attention spans is a self-fulfilling prophecy.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 4 Feb. 2026
Many pro-Trump TV shows, podcasters and commentators are defaulting to a defense of law enforcement — but fretting about how the wider public is reacting to the violent imagery from Minnesota.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 26 Jan. 2026
But workers should adjust their expectations and recognize that some companies aren’t fretting about whether or not their employees can adapt to AI.
—Kevin Oakes, Fortune, 17 Dec. 2025
Songwriters expressing pangs of grief for what once was held court with others fretting about undesirable futures and still others dreaming up cooler tomorrows.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
The economy is more fragile than seven years ago, with many Americans fretting about inflation and job prospects.
—Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 5 Nov. 2025
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
Verb
These new tools, from the likes of Anthropic and OpenAI, have left investors fretting over whether AI will permanently disrupt their business models.
—Samantha Subin, CNBC, 18 Feb. 2026
China will be fretting over freestyle skier Eileen Gu, who fell short of gold at the Beijing Games four years ago.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 5 Feb. 2026
Maybe fretting over fading attention spans is a self-fulfilling prophecy.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 4 Feb. 2026
Many pro-Trump TV shows, podcasters and commentators are defaulting to a defense of law enforcement — but fretting about how the wider public is reacting to the violent imagery from Minnesota.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 26 Jan. 2026
But workers should adjust their expectations and recognize that some companies aren’t fretting about whether or not their employees can adapt to AI.
—Kevin Oakes, Fortune, 17 Dec. 2025
Songwriters expressing pangs of grief for what once was held court with others fretting about undesirable futures and still others dreaming up cooler tomorrows.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
The economy is more fragile than seven years ago, with many Americans fretting about inflation and job prospects.
—Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 5 Nov. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fretting
Adjective
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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
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The quintessential late-’80s teen, Ryder here plays a fretful mom.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
27 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Rediscovery of ancient creatures Back in the 1970s, the team discovered the fossils eroding from a rock formation on the Noonkanbah cattle station, located east of the isolated township of Derby in the Kimberley.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Feb. 2026
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Building an intelligence structure that can weigh ideology alongside conduct risks eroding that trust overnight.—
Bob Shaw,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Minutes later, wearing a blue lanyard with a solid gold medal hanging across his chest, Tkachuk called into the stands for Gaudreau’s two children to join the official team picture.—
Chris Kudialis,
Miami Herald,
23 Feb. 2026
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That ruling paved the way for federal immigration officials to continue wearing masks during California operations.—
Nathaniel Percy,
Daily News,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
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And as for worrying about too much screen time, Woods has zero concerns.—
Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal,
Parents,
26 Feb. 2026
-
The real media merger worth worrying about involves the control of local TV stations.—
Shayla Love,
New Yorker,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Seminole-Palm Harbor contest got a bit dicey in the second half, with questionable calls irritating players, coaches and fans, most notably on the Seminole side.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 Feb. 2026
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And for Paramount, losing an expensive late-night comedian and irritating a few TV personalities may ultimately be the cost of doing business in a world where the biggest transactions could hinge on the feelings of a mercurial and demanding world leader.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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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
-
Brooding in the historical background are the plantations, the vexed issue of where the money comes from that underwrites all this charm, these impeccable manners, this unsteady gaiety.—
Rosa Lyster,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The eighth grader stopped eating after finding a worm in her food, family members said.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
1 Mar. 2026
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Such a partial bypass of the hydropower turbines delivers water cold enough to keep non-native bass from breeding and then eating threatened humpback chubs.—
Brandon Loomis,
AZCentral.com,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The fraying ties prompted Islamabad to return almost three million Afghan nationals in recent months, straining Kabul’s scant resources.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
27 Feb. 2026
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The show is mostly known in the States for launching the career of Rachel McAdams, but it can’t be understated how incredible Goss, playing the festival’s temperamental artistic director, is in it, a fraying bundle of nerves and passion that threatens to collapse on himself at any moment.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fretting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fretting. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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