fretted

American

[fret-id] / ˈfrɛt ɪd /

adjective

ornamented or provided with frets.

a fretted molding.

fretted British

/ ˈfrɛtɪd /

adjective

ornamented with angular designs or frets
decorated with fretwork

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

unfretted adjective

Etymology

Origin of fretted

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; see origin at fret ², -ed ²

Vocabulary lists containing fretted

"The Tragedy of Hamlet," Vocabulary from Act 2

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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.

And many, in a district in which more than 86% of students are low-income, fretted about feeding their kids.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

Credo’s stock has fallen out of favor this year, losing 17% as investors have fretted about the optical threat.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 11, 2026

Investors fretted the rise of AI agents would dampen demand for offerings from legacy software providers.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

Energy stocks were broadly lower in India as investors fretted about profit margins squeezes for marketers and refiners, and the potential threat of inflation shocks.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

Guarded by Spot, a surly Dalmatian who took hunks of flesh out of reporters who got too close, he stormed around the barn and fretted, pouted and balked in his workouts.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023