WordGarden.iofetter
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /fˈɛtə/
US
- /ˈfɛtər/
Meanings
Verb
to restrict or hamper someone's freedom, action, or progress
to put shackles or chains on someone
Noun
a shackle or chain used to restrain someone
something that severely restricts freedom or progress
Beyond the definition
Imagine a knight in shining armor, but with chains around his ankles: those are fetters. A fetter is anything that holds someone or something back, whether physically, like shackles, or in a more figurative way, like fear. You might feel fettered by responsibility, meaning weighed down and restricted. Historically, fetters were metal chains or rings used to restrain prisoners, which gives the word its strong sense of confinement.
The word suggests being held captive, not only by real chains but by anything that limits your freedom or progress. A writer might say they feel fettered by strict rules of grammar, or an artist might feel fettered by a lack of inspiration. To "fetter" someone or something is to bind or restrain them, and that restraint can be literal or figurative.
The word "fetter" originally referred to a metal ring used to shackle prisoners' ankles—a brutal image of confinement. While we rarely see actual fetters today, the word has evolved to describe any restraint, whether physical, emotional, or intellectual. It speaks to something that holds you back, limits your freedom, or hinders your progress.
You can use "fetter" as a verb: "Fear fettered her ambition," meaning fear held her ambition captive and prevented it from flourishing. You can also use it as a noun: "The chains were heavy fetters," describing the physical restraints themselves.
Unlike simple restrictions, fetters suggest something particularly strong or oppressive. A minor inconvenience isn't a fetter; a deep-seated insecurity that prevents you from pursuing your dreams is. Think of it as a bond that is difficult to break.
The word also appears often in serious writing and literature to suggest oppression, captivity, or a loss of freedom. Because of its history, it carries a heavier tone than everyday words like "limit" or "restrict." It often implies that the thing holding you back is hard to escape.
So, whether it is literal chains binding a prisoner or metaphorical bonds holding back your potential, "fetter" describes something that restricts and confines—a powerful word for anything that keeps you from being truly free.
Examples
- 1
Business restrictions
Small businesses often feel fettered by complicated tax rules.
- 2
Personal freedom
She refused to let family expectations fetter her career choices.
- 3
Legal limits
The reform was meant to remove some of the legal fetters on the press.
- Patternlegal fetters on + institution/activity
legal limits that restrict it
- 4
Physical restraints
In the old records, prisoners were taken to the harbor in iron fetters.
See also
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- fetternounverb
Forms
- fetterspluralnounverb
- fetteredpast tenseverbnoun
- fettering-ing formverbnoun