fraught

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /frɔt/ UK /frɔːt/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
filled with or accompanied by something undesirable; tense and anxious

The negotiations were fraught with mistrust from the start.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · filled with or accompanied... filled laden charged loaded tense anxious attended beset

Opposites

carefree untroubled calm relaxed

Word family

Related forms freight

Simplified etymology

Fraught came from medieval Dutch vracht, “ship’s cargo,” and originally meant “laden” or “equipped.” It is now usually used of something filled with danger or anxiety. Freight comes from the same medieval Dutch source.

Etymology

From Middle English fraught ('laden, freighted'), past participle of fraughten ('to load a ship'), from Middle Dutch vrachten ('to load'), from vracht ('freight, cargo'); a doublet of freight.

vracht Middle Dutch

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# fraught

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /frɔt/
**IPA (UK):** /frɔːt/

## Meanings
1. filled with or accompanied by something undesirable; tense and anxious

## Examples
- The negotiations were fraught with mistrust from the start.

## Synonyms
- filled
- laden
- charged
- loaded
- tense
- anxious
- attended
- beset

## Antonyms
- carefree
- untroubled
- calm
- relaxed

## Related Forms
- freight

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: vracht

## Etymology
From Middle English fraught ('laden, freighted'), past participle of fraughten ('to load a ship'), from Middle Dutch vrachten ('to load'), from vracht ('freight, cargo'); a doublet of freight.

## AI Etymology
Fraught comes from Middle English fraught ('laden, freighted'), past participle of fraughten ('to load a ship'), from Middle Dutch vrachten ('to load'), from vracht ('freight, cargo'); a doublet of freight. The historical trail runs through Middle Dutch vracht. In modern use it means filled with or accompanied by something undesirable; tense and anxious. Related forms include freight.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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