fretting 1 of 2

adjective

as in fretful

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fretting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of fret
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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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
Traders are all-in on AI, but Americans are fretting over its impact on jobs. — J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 24 May 2026 On the other side of the office, Islas, Alejo’s boss, is fretting about how to keep Alejo’s team employed. — Megan Greenwell, Bloomberg, 9 June 2026 After games, many Thunder players reside by their lockers cracking jokes and catching up instead of fretting over roles and playing time. — Mark Medina, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026 Bombshells Kenzie is fretting about not being Zach’s type and yet not taking the hint all the way until bombshell time the following night. — Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 3 June 2026 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 Scenes of furious sketching, intricate designs of delicate cutouts and swirling shapes and fabrics, pinning, sewing and the bustle of runway shows alternate with fretting about how to pay the rent. — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 7 June 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 The tension drew the attention of Abbott’s office, which was supportive of Tips at periods but also fretting that the regulations were not coming together and state lawmakers were growing impatient, Bingaman said. — Dug Begley, Houston Chronicle, 4 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fretting
  1. fretful
  2. eroding
  3. wearing
  4. worrying
  5. irritating
  6. vexed
  7. eating
  8. fraying
Adjective
  • The fretful electronic score is by Flying Lotus, Elliot Leung and Olivia Xiaolin.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
  • Julia Louis-Dreyfus provides the voice of Miss Maple, renamed Lily and far more fretful and fearful than in the book.
    — Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 9 May 2026
Definition of fretful
Verb
  • But Koppl traced a distinctly American lineage through a chain of precedents dating back more than 50 years, each one further eroding the market discipline that profit-and-loss accountability is supposed to provide.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 3 July 2026
  • McGraw Hill Higher Education cites a study by Gerlich (2025) at SBS Swiss Business School that reveals an over-reliance on AI tools is eroding critical thinking abilities.
    — Michael Ashley, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of eroding
Verb
  • Doctors Without Borders health workers wearing personal protective equipment move through the isolated red zone to monitor patients, provide medical care and ensure sanitation at the Ebola Treatment Center in Munigi in Congo on June 2, 2026.
    — Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 6 July 2026
  • Rodríguez Castro can be seen wearing a New York Yankees shirt, moving suggestively to driving percussive beats, punctuated by catchy, syncopated vocals.
    — Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 6 July 2026
Definition of wearing
Verb
  • This common form of anxiety arises when dogs are left alone for an amount of time, often worrying that they will permanently be left behind.
    — BestReviews, Mercury News, 2 July 2026
  • Taken together, the actions signal a worrying return to a reality where people with disabilities are pushed to the margins of society, advocates said.
    — Annie Ma, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
Definition of worrying
Verb
  • Unanswered workplace messages are a common, irritating phenomenon, often perceived as deliberate avoidance despite recipients being active elsewhere.
    — Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • Morales turns another character who can be irritating into one whose lot, and whose needs, demands attention.
    — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 29 June 2026
Definition of irritating
Adjective
  • How to do that was a very vexed and complicated problem.
    — David Frum, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026
  • From his perspective, whatever happened was easily resolved — but working on a megahit can make matters more vexed.
    — Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 10 June 2026
Definition of vexed
Verb
  • Winners of the Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest have eaten a total of 2,541 famous franks, give or take a few, since the contest began in 1982.
    — Jennifer Borresen, USA Today, 3 July 2026
  • This can include water features with turtles or frogs, bird feeders that attract insect-eating birds like cardinals and chickadees, or keeping chickens.
    — The Spruce, The Spruce, 2 July 2026
Definition of eating
Verb
  • The same fear of a fraying dollar system is driving Russia and others toward bitcoin and pushing Wall Street to treat which reserve asset wins as a live question.
    — Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
  • And that net of community health workers who serve as links between families and this lifesaving treatment is fraying.
    — Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 13 June 2026
Definition of fraying

Browse Nearby Words

fretted (about or over)
fretting
fretting (about or over)
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Cite this Entry

“Fretting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fretting. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of fretting for Spanish Speakers

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