An article in the New York Times used an interesting phrase when reporting about the mission of former President Jimmy Carter to North Korea this week. He went to secure the release of an American citizen who had been imprisoned for illegal entry into North Korea. (Last night it was reported that Carter was successful in gaining the release of the prisoner and they were on a flight to Boston.)
The article, written by Choe Sang-Hun, identified this as “a fraught time for North Korea.” I read it once, moved on in the article, and then went back and read it again two or three times. The use of fraught in this way was totally unfamiliar to me, sending me to the dictionary for a clarification. I had to search widely, however, before I found the definition above, cited in Wikipedia as a reference to the Collins English Dictionary.*
Clearly, it is an unusual use of the word, which is ordinarily used with the word “with.” For instance, it would not be uncommon at all to have a sentence that might read:
“The dinner party was fraught with tension, with everyone waiting for the other shoe to drop.”
But to use it as a direct adjective is unusual. However, Bryan Garner, editor of Garner’s Modern American Usage, has this to say:
“There is a new sense of fraught, too–distressed or distressing–dating from the 1960s. This new use (without a with) is now fairly common. Though much more frequent in BrE than in AmE, the sense does appear in American sources.”
I would question his words “fairly common,” not having ever seen it in use before this NYT article … but, then again … I’m not the widest read person around. Maybe he and I read different kinds of literature and sources.
It may not be surprising to discover that the word fraught comes from the same root as freight. It means loaded down, or burdened by a heavy load. Anyone who has been through a trying time can identify with the feeling of being burdened by circumstances.
In any case, the fact that North Korea is living through a fraught time cannot be disputed. Recent conflicts with South Korea and a growing paranoia about the United States and the coalition of friendly nations who are upset with North Korea would make for a very fraught experience.
It’s an interesting word. I have a feeling I will be a little cautious in using it the way the journalist used it in this article, but it’s nice to know that the possibility is there … just in case I ever need it.
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*(Collins English Dictionary – Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition 2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 )
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I seen it fairly often here in the UK, where the without-with use is unremarkable.