fraught

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /fɹɔːt/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /fɹɔt/
• (cot–caught merger) IPA^(key): /fɹɑt/
• Homophone: frot (cot–caught merger)
• Rhymes: -ɔːt

From Middle English fraught, fraght, freght (“transport of goods or people (usually by water); charge for such transport; facilities for such transport; cargo or passengers of a ship; ballast of a ship; goods in general; (figurative) burden; charge”), from Middle Dutch vracht, vrecht, or Middle Low German vracht, vrecht (“cargo, freight; charge for transport of goods”), from Proto-Germanic *fra-aihtiz, from *fra- (intensifying prefix) + Proto-Germanic *aihtiz (“acquisition; possessions, property”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eyḱ- (“to come into possession of, obtain; to own, possess”)). Doublet of freight.

fraught (usually uncountable, plural fraughts) (obsolete, also figurative)

1. (nautical)
   1. The hire of a boat or ship to transport cargo.
   2. Money paid to hire a vessel for this purpose; freight.

      Hyponyms: boatage, (dated) shippage

      fraught money

   3. The transportation of goods, especially in a boat or ship.

      Hyponyms: boatage, (dated) shippage

   4. A ship's cargo; freight, lading.
      • c. 1589–1590 (date written), Christopher Marlo, edited by Tho Heywood, The Famous Tragedy of the Rich Iew of Malta. , London: I B for Nicholas Vavasour, , published 1633, →OCLC, Act I, signature B3, recto:

        VVell, goe / And bid the Merchants and my men diſpatch / And come aſhore, and ſee the fraught discharg'd.

      • 1596, , The Raigne of King Edward the Third: , London: ">…] for Cuthbert Burby, →OCLC, , signature G2, recto:

        And novv behold after my vvinters toyle, / My paynefull voyage on the boyſtrous ſea, / Of vvarres deuouring gulphes and ſteely rocks, / I bring my fraught vnto the vviſhed port / My Summers hope, my trauels ſvveet reward:

      • 1624, Iohn Smith, “The Arrivall of the Phœnix; Her Returne; and Other Accidents”, in The Generall Historie of Virginia, New-England, and the Summer Isles: , London: I D and I H for Michael Sparkes, →OCLC, book 3; reprinted in The Generall Historie of Virginia, (Bibliotheca Americana), Cleveland, Oh.: The World Publishing Company, 1966, →OCLC, page 54:

        The fraught of this Ship being concluded to be Cedar, by the diligence of the Maſter, and Captaine Smith, ſhe vvas quickly reladed:

2. (obsolete except Scotland)
   1. Two bucketfuls.
      • 1891, J M Barrie, “The Night-watchers”, in The Little Minister.  In Three Volumes.">…], volume I, London, Paris: Cassell and Company, , →OCLC, pages 32–33:

        The manse is reached by a wide, straight path, so rough that to carry a fraught of water to the manse without spilling was to be superlatively good at one thing.

   2. (figurative) A burden, a load.
      • 1642 April, John Milton, An Apology for Smectymnuus; republished in A Complete Collection of the Historical, Political, and Miscellaneous Works of John Milton, , volume I, Amsterdam , 1698, →OCLC, page 175:

        Thoſe morning haunts are vvhere they ſhould be at home, not ſleeping, or concocting the ſurfets of an irregular Feaſt, but up and ſtirring, in Summer as oft vvith the Bird that firſt rouſes, or not much tardier, to reade good Authors, or cauſe them to be read, till the Attention be vveary, or Memory have its full fraught:

      • 1671, John Milton, “Samson Agonistes, .”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: J M for John Starkey , →OCLC, page 65, line 86:

        His fraught vve ſoon ſhall knovv, he novv arrives.

• freight

The verb is derived from Middle English fraughten, fraghten, freghten (“to hire (a ship, etc.) for transporting goods; to load (a ship, etc.) with cargo or passengers; to store, stow away; (figurative) to provide an ample supply of (goods, income, etc.)”), from Middle Dutch vrachten, vrechten, from vracht, vrecht (noun) (see etymology 1) + -en (suffix forming infinitives of verbs).

The adjective is derived from Middle English fraught, fraght (“burdened, loaded”), the past participle of fraughten, fraghten (verb) (see above).

fraught (third-person singular simple present fraughts, present participle fraughting, simple past and past participle fraught or fraughted)

1. (transitive)
   1. (nautical, obsolete) To load (a boat, ship, or other vessel) with cargo.
      • c. 1589–1590 (date written), Christopher Marlo, edited by Tho Heywood, The Famous Tragedy of the Rich Iew of Malta. , London: I B for Nicholas Vavasour, , published 1633, →OCLC, Act I, signature B2, recto:

        The ſhips are ſafe thou ſaiſt, and richly fraught?

      • 1603, Francis Dillingham, “The 15. Reason: Diuinitie”, in A Quartron of Reasons, Composed by Doctor Hill, Unquartered, and Prooued a Quartron of Follies, : Iohn Legat, printer to the Uniuersitie of Cambridge nd are to be sold   by Simon Waterson, →OCLC, page 68:

        I denie that the Proteſtant doth not meddle vvith theſe things, but fraughteth his ſhippe onely vvith faith, and neuer beateth his braine about ſinnes.

        A figurative use.

      • 1625, Peter Heylyn, “Of Peruana”, in Μικρόκοσμος . A Little Description of the Great World. , revised edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Iohn Lichfield and William Turner, and are to be sold by W. Turner and T. Huggins, →OCLC, page 801:

        Tvvo Marchants departing from Spaine to get gold, touched vpon part of Barbary; vvhere the other fraughteth his veſſel vvith ſheep:

   2. (figurative, archaic or obsolete) To burden or load (someone or something).
      • a. 1548 (date written), Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, “Ecclesiastes. Chapter III.”, in The Poems of Henry Howard Earl of Surrey, London: William Pickering, published 1831, →OCLC, page 90:

        From God these heavy cares are sent for our unrests; / And with such burdens for our wealth he fraughteth full our breasts.

      • 1611 April (first recorded performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Cymbeline”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, , page 370, column 1:

        If after this command thou fraught the Court / VVith thy vnvvorthineſſe, thou dyeſt.

      • 1612, , “The First Song. Illustrations.”, in Michael Drayton, edited by , Poly-Olbion. Or A Chorographicall Description of Tracts, Riuers, Mountaines, Forests, and Other Parts of this Renowned Isle of Great Britaine, , London: for M Lownes; I Browne; I Helme; I Busbie, →OCLC, page 85:

        is vvife, out of vvhoſe flocke the Ram vvas taken, had by inceſtuous copulation vvith her huſbands Nephevv fraughted her ſelfe vvith a yong one.

   3. (figurative, archaic or obsolete) Followed by with: to furnish or provide (something).

      Synonyms: equip, supply

      • 1571, John Calvin, “”, in Arthur Golding, transl., The Psalmes of Dauid and Others. With M. Iohn Caluin’s Commentaries, London: Thomas East and Henry Middelton; for Lucas Harison, and Gorge Byshop, →OCLC, 1st part, folio 279, verso, column 1:

        Therefore in ſayinge that he ſeeketh to none in heauẽ ſaue only god, he reiecteth all the counterfet Gods with which the comon errour & foly of yͤ world fraughteth heauen.

      • 1611, Iohn Speed , “Henrie, the First of that Name, the Fortieth One Monarch of the English-men: ”, in The History of Great Britaine under the Conquests of yͤ Romans, Saxons, Danes and Normans. , London: William Hall and John Beale, for John Sudbury and George Humble, , →OCLC, book IX ( ), paragraph 59, page 442, column 2:

        ee tooke chiefe pleaſure to reſide in his nevv Palace, vvhich himſelfe built at Oxford, both for the delight he had in learned men, himſelfe being very learned, and for the vicinity of his nevv Parke at VVoodſtocke, vvhich hee had fraught vvith all kind of ſtrange beaſts, vvherein hee much delighted, as Lyons, Leopards, Lynces, Camels, Porcupines, and the like.

      • 1645, Jos Hall, “Sect XII. Consideration of the Benefits of Poverty.”, in The Remedy of Discontentment: Or, A Treatise of Contentation in whatsoever Condition: , London: J. G. for Nath Brooks, , published 1652, →OCLC, pages 60–61:

        hen his better earnings have fraught his trencher vvith a vvarm and pleaſing morſell, and his cup vvith a ſtronger liquor, hovv chearfully is he affected vvith that happy variety; and in the ſtrength of it digeſts many of his thinner meales?

      • a. 1662 (date written), Thomas Fuller, “Cornwall”, in The History of the Worthies of England, London: J G W L and W G, published 1662, →OCLC, page 202:

        King Henry full fraught all thoſe vvith vvealth and revvards, vvhom he retained in his imployment.

   4. (Scotland, nautical, obsolete) To hire (a vessel) to transport cargo or passengers.
   5. (Scotland, nautical, obsolete) To transport (cargo or passengers) in a vessel; to freight.
2. (intransitive, obsolete) To form the cargo or passengers of a vessel.
   • 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, , page 2, column 1:

     Had I byn any God of povver, I vvould / Have ſuncke the Sea vvithin the Earth, or ere / It ſhould the good Ship ſo haue ſvvallovv'd, and / The fraughting Soules within her.

     An adjective use.

fraught (comparative more fraught or (rare) fraughter, superlative most fraught or (rare) fraughtest)

1. (nautical) Of a boat, ship, or other vessel: laden with cargo.

   Synonym: freighted

   Antonyms: unfraught, unfreighted

   • 1576, George Gascoigne, “The Fruites of Warre, Written vppon This Theame, Dulce Bellum Inexpertis, ”, in The Posies of George Gascoigne Esquire. , London: H Bynneman for Richard Smith, , →OCLC, stanza 107, page cxxxvj:

     The ſhippes retyre with riches full yfraught,

   • 1577, Raphaell Holinshed, “The Historie of Englande”, in The Firste Volume of the Chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Irelande , volume I, London: ">…] for Iohn Harrison, →OCLC, page 28, column 1:

     Theſe Shippes were fraught with men and women, and had to theyr Captayne one called Bartholoin or Partholin.

   • c. 1596–1598 (date written), W Shakespeare, The Excellent History of the Merchant of Venice.  (First Quarto), : J Roberts , published 1600, →OCLC, , signature , verso:

     n the narrovv ſeas that part / The French and Engliſh, there miſcarried / A veſſel of our country richly fraught;

   • 1756 February 3 (first performance), Samuel Foote, “Prologue, Spoken by Mr. Foote”, in The Englishman Return’d from Paris, Being the Sequel to The Englishman in Paris. A Farce , London: Paul Vaillant, , published 1756, →OCLC, page :

     Of all the Paſſions that poſſeſs Mankind, / The Love of Novelty rules moſt the Mind, / In ſearch of this from Realm to Realm vve roam, / Our Fleets come fraught vvith every Folly home.

   • 1827, Macaulay, “ The Marriage of Tirzah and Ahirad.”, in T F E, editor, The Miscellaneous Writings and Speeches of Lord Macaulay, new edition, London: Longman, Green, Reader, & Dyer, published 1871, →OCLC, page 446:

     The peasant without fear shall guide / Down smooth canal or river wide / His painted bark of cane, / Fraught, for some proud bazaar's arcades, / With chestnuts from his native shades, / And wine, and milk, and grain.

2. (figurative)

   Antonym: unfraught

   1. Followed by with: carrying, or charged or loaded up with (usually something negative); accompanied by; entailing.
      • 1566, Euripides, “Iocasta: A Tragedie Written in Greke by Euripides, ”, in George Gascoigne, Francis Kinwelmershe, transl., A Hundreth Sundrie Flowres Bounde up in One Small Poesie. , London: Richarde Smith, published 1573, →OCLC, Act V, scene ii, page 148:

        ne the other fiercely did encounter, / Like Lions two yfraught with boyling wrath,

      • 1595, Edmunde Spenser , “ Sonnet LXXVI”, in Amoretti and Epithalamion. , London: ">…] for William Ponsonby, →OCLC, signature , recto:

        Fayre boſome fraught vvith vertues richeſt treſure, / The neaſt of loue, the lodging of delight: / the bovvre of bliſſe, the paradice of pleaſure, / the ſacred harbour of that heuenly ſpright.

      • 1660 August 8 (date delivered; Gregorian calendar); first published 1715, Robert South, “A Discourse Preached at St. Mary’s Church in Oxon, before the University, on the 29th of July 1660, being the Time of the King’s Commissioners Meeting there, soon after the Restauration, for the Visitation of that University”, in Twelve Sermons Preached at Several Times, and upon Several Occasions, volume IV, London: G. James, for Jonah Bowyer , →OCLC, page 3:

        In this Chapter vve have a large Diſcourſe from the great Preacher of Righteouſneſs; A Diſcourſe fraught vvith all the commending Excellencies of Speech;

      • 1755, , “Letter V. The Conclusion.”, in The Centaur Not Fabulous. , London: A Millar ; nd R and J Dodsley , →OCLC, page 367:

        Liberty, fraught vvith bleſſings as it is, vvhen unabuſed, has, perhaps been abuſed to our deſtruction.

      • 1843 December 19, Charles Dickens, “Stave Two. The First of the Three Spirits.”, in A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas, London: Chapman & Hall, , →OCLC, page 66:

        That which promised happiness when we were one in heart, is fraught with misery now that we are two.

      • 1844 February 19 (date delivered), Macaulay, “ A Speech Delivered in the House of Commons on the 19th of February 1844.”, in T F E, editor, The Miscellaneous Writings and Speeches of Lord Macaulay, new edition, London: Longman, Green, Reader, & Dyer, published 1871, →OCLC, page 658:

        The government and the legislature, each in its own sphere, is deeply responsible for the continuance of a state of things which is fraught with danger to the State.

      • 1860, Isaac Taylor, “Essay V. Epidemic Whims.”, in Ultimate Civilization and Other Essays, London: Bell and Daldy , →OCLC, section I, page 257:

        He is a man of the meditative claſs:—he walks the ſtreets abſtractedly:—as he goes he digeſts enterpriſes, fraught with world-wide benefits.

      • 1936, Rollo Ahmed, “The Earliest Records of Black Magic”, in The Black Art, London: Senate, Studio Editions, published 1994, →ISBN, part I, page 22:

        The simplest action was fraught with danger, and could only be accomplished with the aid of talismans and counter-spells, and people lived in constant dread of the unknown.

   2. (specifically) Carrying or loaded with anxiety, fear, or stress, for example, due to complexity or difficulty; distressed; also, causing distress; distressing.

      Synonym: wrought-up

      a fraught relationship    a fraught process

      • 1878, Benj G. Herre, “Wyman’s Ordeal. A Partisan Tale.”, in Eratics: Or, Love Stories, Lancaster, Pa.: Jno. H. Pearsol, , →OCLC, scene iii, stanza XXI, page 180:

        Nor less her son the like encouraged she / To party bitterness, that was in her, / Ev'n of the fraughtest growth that well could be, / Surpassing most of men's,

      • 2010, Philip Withington, “The Rise and Fall of ‘Commonwealth’”, in Society in Early Modern England: The Vernacular Origins of Some Powerful Ideas, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire; Malden, Mass.: Polity Press, →ISBN, part II (Keywords), page 166:

        In all of those respects it was a vocabulary that accommodated within itself (so to speak) the fraught transition from Gemeinschaft to Gesellschaft, or 'community' to 'society'. This transition was only made fraughter for contemporaries – and muddier for historians – by the politicization of commonwealth after 1640 and its sequestration by ideologues and partisans.

      • 2014 October 21, Oliver Brown, “Oscar Pistorius jailed for five years – sport afforded no protection against his tragic fallibilities: Bladerunner’s punishment for killing Reeva Steenkamp is but a frippery when set against the burden that her bereft parents, June and Barry, must carry ”, in The Daily Telegraph (Sport section)‎, London: Telegraph Media Group, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 24 November 2023:

        But ever since the concept of "hamartia" recurred through Aristotle's Poetics, in an attempt to describe man's ingrained iniquity, our impulse has been to identify a telling defect in those brought suddenly and dramatically low. With Pistorius, that task is fraught.

      • 2022 December 14, Robin Leleux, “A Royal Occasion as Heritage Projects Honoured: Sudbury Hill”, in Rail, number 972, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire: Bauer Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 57:

        Installing lift shafts in station buildings which were not originally designed to accommodate them can be a fraught exercise, but a necessary one if the legitimate aspiration of the travelling public for step-free access is to be achieved. At Sudbury Hill, on London Underground's Piccadilly Line extension out to the north-western suburbs, Transport for London has achieved this with aplomb.

   3. Followed by with: furnished, provided.

      Synonyms: equipped, supplied

      • , “”, in Arthur Golding, transl., A Catholike Exposition vpon the Reuelation of Sainct Iohn. , London: H Binneman, for L Harison, and G Bishop, →OCLC, folio 32, recto:

        hen the worlde is fraughted with ſo manye varlettes, that it will be a long time ere a man ſhall diſcerne the faythful from the Hipocrites.]

      • 1596, Edm Spenser, “An Hymne of Heavenly Beautie”, in Fowre Hymnes, London: ">…] for William Ponsonby, →OCLC, page 43:

        Hovv vvondrouſly vvould he her face commend, / Aboue that Idole of his fayning thought, / That all the vvorld ſhold vvith his rimes be fraught?

      • c. 1603–1606 (date written), , His True Chronicle Historie of the Life and Death of King Lear and His Three Daughters.  (First Quarto), London: Nathaniel Butter, , published 1608, →OCLC, , signature D, verso:

        Come ſir, I vvould you vvould make vſe of that good vviſedome vvhereof I knovv you are fraught, and put avvay theſe diſpoſitions, that of late tranſforme you from vvhat you rightly are.

      • 1605, Francis Bacon, “The First Booke”, in The Twoo Bookes of Francis Bacon. Of the Proficience and Aduancement of Learning, Diuine and Humane, London: ">…] for Henrie Tomes, , →OCLC, folios 21, verso – 22, recto:

        So, in naturall Hiſtorie, vvee ſee there hath not beene that choiſe and iudgement vſed, as ought to haue beene, as may appeare in the vvritings of Plinius, Cardanus, Albertus, and diuers of the Arabians, being fraught vvith much fabulous matter, a great part, not onely vntryed, but notoriouſly vntrue, to the great derogation of the credite of naturall Philoſophie,

      • 1671, John Milton, “The Third Book”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: J M for John Starkey , →OCLC, page 72, lines 334–335:

        Mules after theſe, Camels and Dromedaries, / And VVaggons fraught vvith Utenſils of vvar.

      • 1704, , “A Discourse Concerning the Mechanical Operation of the Spirit. In a Letter to a Friend. A Fragment.. Sect II.”, in A Tale of a Tub.  To which is Added, An Account of a Battel between the Antient and Modern Books in St. James’s Library.">…], London: John Nutt, , published 1705, →OCLC, page 307:

        The firſt Ingredient, tovvards the Art of Canting, is a competent Share of Invvard Light: that is to ſay, a large Memory, plentifully fraught vvith Theological Polyſyllables, and myſterious Texts from holy VVrit, applied and digeſted by thoſe Methods, and Mechanical Operations already related:

      • 1801, Robert Southey, “The Fifth Book”, in Thalaba the Destroyer, volume I, London: or T N Longman and O Rees, , by Biggs and Cottle, , →OCLC, pages 258–259:

        The desert Pelican had built her nest / In that deep solitude. / And now returned from distant flight / Fraught with the river stream, / Her load of water had disburthened there. / Her young in the refreshing bath / Sported all wantonness;

• fatefraught, fate-fraught
• full-fraught
• overfraught (adjective)
• unfraught

• Douglas Harper (2001–2025) “fraught”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.