fretted
Americanadjective
adjective
-
ornamented with angular designs or frets
-
decorated with fretwork
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of fretted
late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; see origin at fret 2, -ed 2
Vocabulary lists containing fretted
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Two decades ago, U.S. policymakers fretted that London would eclipse Wall Street as the world’s primary listing destination.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
"Damon's Odysseus is stubborn, overconfident and sacrilegious, but doesn't bear that much resemblance to the conniving, hypocritical egotist of lore who fretted over his wife's fidelity," she noted.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
The delicate tapestry will be transported from its usual home in northern France, but the precise arrangements are being kept secret as heritage experts and artists have fretted that it could be damaged in transit.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
Investors have fretted about how long so-called hyperscalers such as Meta and Microsoft can maintain their aggressive data-center spending.
From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026
They rolled up to his lips and fretted them.
From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
