FRETTED Synonyms: 94 Similar and Opposite Words

fretted

verb

past tense of fret

as in eroded

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in wore

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 worried

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 irritated

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 fretted Nationally, moderate factions of the party have fretted over the calls — like those echoing from the Colorado Capitol’s stairs — to abolish ICE outright. —

Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 8 Feb. 2026 The outperformance is relatively new for investors who once fretted that Alphabet had been surpassed in technological prowess by startups like OpenAI, which would erode Google’s huge market share in internet search. —

Bloomberg, Mercury News, 4 Feb. 2026 Ahead of the bill’s passage, county leaders openly fretted about the possible damage that might come from giving such free rein to the constables. —

John Lomax V, Houston Chronicle, 30 Jan. 2026 Recent college grads in particular felt the pinch, and economic policymakers fretted about slowing labor growth. —

Alex Harring, CNBC, 31 Dec. 2025 Stock-watchers cheered a market boom, and fretted about a bubble. —

Mark Niquette, Arkansas Online, 15 Dec. 2025 Stock-watchers cheered a market boom, and fretted about a bubble. —

Mark Niquette, Fortune, 12 Dec. 2025 Rather than sparking a larger war, as some analysts fretted, Soleimani’s assassination permanently set back Iran’s proxies. —

Ray Takeyh, Foreign Affairs, 4 Dec. 2025 Generations of workers have fretted about the future of Social Security, the retirement trust fund. —

Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fretted

Verb

For years, the LDP has been weighed down by election losses, stubborn inflation and political scandals, which have eroded public trust even as its new leader’s popularity surges.

— Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 6 Feb. 2026
Critics, however, countered that Kamau's political identity does not exempt him from basic legal standards and that the case was one of several controversies that eroded confidence in his administration.

— Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026