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An early instance of the word fraught occurs in the 14th century poem Richard Coer de Lion, about England’s King Richard I. “The drowmound was so hevy fraught / That unethe myght it saylen aught” is about a large fast-sailing ship so heavily fraught—that is, loaded—that it can barely sail. The use is typical for the time; originally, something that was fraught was laden with freight. For centuries, fraught continued to be used in relation to loaded ships, but its use was eventually broadened for situations that are heavy with tension, emotion, or some other weighty characteristic.
Examples of fraught in a Sentence
Susan Page, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2025
Celtic identity was fraught in Britain, adopted and embellished by English Protestants to reflect an idealized romantic past for the British Isles, while also claimed by groups who had a different (and arguably stronger) claim to indigeneity and marginality, like the Cornish, Scottish, and Irish.
—Eliza Goodpasture, ARTnews.com, 18 Mar. 2025
However, for Cass, loving themselves no longer comes easy, since being loved has always seemed so fraught, leading to its own vicious emotional cycle.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 17 Mar. 2025
State employees who work with sensitive information, like Tracy from the Department of Water Resources, said bringing workers back to work in close proximity was particularly fraught in her field because some of her work must be done confidentially.
—William Melhado, Sacramento Bee, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fraught
Cite this Entry
“Fraught.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fraught. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
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