fret
verb
[ frɛt ]
• be constantly or visibly anxious.
• "she fretted about the cost of groceries"
Similar:
worry,
be anxious,
feel uneasy,
be distressed,
be upset,
upset oneself,
concern oneself,
feel unhappy,
agonize,
anguish,
sorrow,
sigh,
pine,
brood,
mope,
fuss,
make a fuss,
complain,
grumble,
whine,
eat one's heart out,
stew,
feel peeved,
• gradually wear away (something) by rubbing or gnawing.
• "the bay's black waves fret the seafront"
• flow or move in small waves.
• "squelchy clay that fretted between his toes"
fret
noun
• a state of anxiety.
• "why would anyone get themselves in a fret over something so simple?"
Origin:
Old English fretan ‘devour, consume’, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch vreten and German fressen, and ultimately to for- and eat.
fret
noun
• a repeating ornamental design of vertical and horizontal lines, such as the Greek key pattern.
• a device of narrow diagonal bands interlaced through a diamond.
fret
verb
• decorate with fretwork.
• "a botanically inspired ornamental pattern frets the ceiling"
Origin:
late Middle English: from Old French frete ‘trelliswork’ and freter (verb), of unknown origin.
fret
noun
• each of a sequence of ridges on the fingerboard of some stringed musical instruments (such as the guitar), used for fixing the positions of the fingers to produce the desired notes.
fret
verb
• play (a note on a stringed instrument) while pressing the string down against a fret.
• "most people would play this by fretting the G string on the first fret with the first finger"
• provide (a stringed instrument) with frets.
Origin:
early 16th century: of unknown origin.
fret
noun
• a mist coming in off the sea; a sea fog.
Origin:
mid 19th century: of unknown origin.
