frētus, a, um, adj. [root dhar-, Sanscr. dhar-ā-mi, hold, support; v. frēnum],
I leaning or supported on something, in a good or bad sense; relying or depending upon , trusting to; daring (class.; cf.: fultus, nixus).—Constr. with abl., rarely with dat., with inf. (poet.), and with object clause.
α With abl.: omnes mortales dis sunt freti, Plaut. Cas. 2, 5, 38 sq.: magnanimi viri freti virtute et viribus, id. Am. 1, 1, 56: ingenio ejus, id. Capt. 2, 2, 100: dote, id. Men. 5, 2, 17: vobis, Ter. Eun. 1063: vobis fretus, Cic. Planc. 42, 103: fretus intellegentiā vestrā, id. N. D. 1, 19, 49: fretus conscientiā officii mei, id. Fam. 3, 7, 6: gratiā Bruti, id. Att. 5, 21, 12: ingenio, id. de Or. 2, 24, 103: juventā, Verg. A. 5, 430 al.: amicitiis, Q. Cic. Petit. Cons. 7, 25: pondere enim fretae (res) stant, Lucr. 6, 1058: ferro et animis, Liv. 9, 40, 4: malitiā suā, Ter. Phorm. 273: multitudine solā, Liv. 9, 35, 3.—
β With dat. (only in Liv.; v. Zumpt, Gram. § 413): multitudo hostium, nulli rei praeterquam numero freta, Liv. 6, 13, 1; cf.: tamquam constantissimae rei, fortunae, id. 4, 37, 6; so, discordiae hostium, id. 6, 31, 6: haec civitas Samnitium infidae adversus Romanos societati freta, id. 8, 22, 7.—
γ With inf.: (naves) pontum irrumpere fretae Longius, daring , venturing , Stat. Th. 6, 23.—
δ With object-clause : satis fretus esse etiam nunc tolerando certamini legatum, Liv. 10, 5, 5: fretus excipi posse (hostem), qua venturum sciebat, Curt. 7, 7, 31.