adj

fraught

frawt

adj

Filled with something unpleasant, especially tension, danger, or difficulty.

"The negotiations were fraught with tension from the start."

"It was a fraught journey through the flooded roads."

Stressed, anxious, or emotionally strained.

"She sounded fraught on the phone after the long delay."

How to Use Fraught

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTense, difficult, or loaded with risk or stress.

Common mistake

Almost always used with "with" (fraught with danger) when naming what it's full of; used alone it just means tense or stressful.

Common pairings

fraught with danger fraught relationship fraught situation

Word Forms

more fraught comparative, fraughter comparative, fraught past tense, fraughted past tense, fraughts plural, fraught plural, fraughted plural, fraughts singular, fraught singular, fraughted singular, fraughtest singular, fraughtedst singular, fraughteth singular, most fraught superlative, fraughtest superlative

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Can you complete this real example?

The negotiations were _____ with tension from the start.

Etymology

From Middle English fraught, originally meaning a ship's cargo (related to "freight") — the sense shifted from a ship being "loaded" with goods to a situation being "loaded" with tension.

Rhymes for fraught

aught caught naught onslaught distraught

See all rhymes for fraught →