verb

fret

freht

verb

To worry or feel anxious about something.

"She fretted over the exam results for days."

"There's no need to fret; everything will work out."

noun

One of the raised ridges across the neck of a guitar or similar instrument, used to mark finger positions.

"He pressed down just behind the third fret to play the note."

How to Use Fret

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo be anxious or worried, or, as a noun, one of the metal ridges on a guitar neck.

Common mistake

Don't confuse the "worry" sense with the unrelated guitar-neck sense — they share a word but not a meaning.

Common pairings

fret about fret over don't fret

Word Forms

fretted past tense, fret past tense, frate past tense, fretten past tense, fretted past tense, fretted past tense, frets plural, frets plural, frets plural, frets plural, frets plural, frets plural, FRETs plural, frets singular, frets singular, frets singular

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

There's no need to _____; everything will work out.

Etymology

From Old English fretan, "to eat away" or "consume" — the sense of "worry" grew from the idea of something gnawing at you.

Rhymes for fret

Bret beret secret ferret regret turret claret garret barret cabaret Margaret interpret

See all rhymes for fret →