Meaning & use
fettered
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“fettered” is a form of “fetter”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
adjectivenot comparablefigurative
held back or limited by rules, duties, or difficult conditions, so you cannot act freely.
Grammar: Used after a linking verb or before a noun: a fettered press / the press is fettered.
Patterns
- fettered by something
- fettered with something
The new rules left local councils fettered by paperwork.
She felt fettered by the expectations of her family.
A fettered imagination will never produce a great novel.
adjectivenot comparableliterary
tied with chains or ropes around the ankles, especially in older times or in stories.
Grammar: This literal sense usually describes prisoners or animals in historical or literary writing.
Patterns
- fettered prisoner
- fettered to something
The prisoners sat fettered in the dark cell.
In the story, the dragon was fettered to a rock.
verbtransitive
past tense and past participle of 'fetter': to tie someone's ankles with chains, or to limit someone's freedom.
Grammar: This is the -ed form of the verb; it can still take an object in a sentence like 'They fettered the captives.'
Patterns
- fettered someone
- be fettered by something
The guards fettered the prisoners before the march.
Old customs had fettered the business for years.
Word forms
| base form | fetter |
|---|---|
| third person singular | fetters |
| past tense | fettered |
| past participle | fettered |
| -ing form | fettering |
Common combinations
- fettered by bureaucracy
- Doctors say they are fettered by bureaucracy and cannot treat patients quickly.
- fettered imagination
- A fettered imagination struggles to find new solutions.
- feel fettered
- Many young workers feel fettered by long contracts.
- fettered to something
- The old dog was fettered to a post outside the hut.
Synonyms and how they differ
- restricted
- Restricted is more neutral and common for rules and access; fettered is more literary and suggests a loss of freedom.
- chained
- Chained is the literal physical image; fettered can be literal too but is more often figurative.
- shackled
- Shackled is close in both senses but sounds even more dramatic and literary.
Opposites
Word family
- fetter verb
- to tie someone's ankles with chains or limit their freedom.
- fetters noun
- chains or ropes around the ankles; also used figuratively for limits.
- unfettered adjective
- not limited or controlled; free to act.
Commonly confused: fettered or feather?
fettered vs feather
Feather is the light thing that covers a bird; fettered means chained or limited. They sound similar but are unrelated.
Practice
Choose the best word: After the new law, small businesses felt ___ by endless paperwork.
Choose one answer.
'Fettered' means limited or held back, which fits the idea of being restricted by paperwork. 'Feathered' and 'fetched' are unrelated in meaning, and 'fathered' means to be the father of someone.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “fettered”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.